Potato most important and economical food crop of the world, referred as Poor man friend. Its origin is in South America. It is rich source of starch and vitamin. It is used as vegetable also used for making of chips. It is used for several industrial purposes for production of starch and alcohol. Potato is grown almost in all states. Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab, Karnataka, Assam and Madhya Pradesh are major potato growing states.

In Maharashtra, near about 16 thousand hectare area is under potato cultivation. Pune, Satara, Nashik, Ahmadnagar, Beed, Nagpur and Aurangabad are major potato growing areas of Maharashtra.

It can grow on wide range of soil, ranging from sandy loam, silt loam, loam and clay soils. It gives best yield when grown under well drained sandy loam and medium loam soils with rich in organic content. They can grow in acidic soil. It cannot grow under waterlogged soil also saline, alkaline soils are not suitable for potato cultivation.

Kufri Shinduri: Tubers are of medium size, round and reddish in color. Ready to harvest in 110-120days. Gives average yield of 90-100qtl/acre.

Kufri Lauvkar: Early maturing variety ready to harvest in 75-80days. Round, creamy white tubers with medium deep eyes. It is resistant to various disease. Gives average yield of 100-120qtl/acre.

Kufri Bahar: Plants are tall with thick stem, 4-5stem per plant. Tubers are of large, white, round to oval shape and flesh is of white color. It matures in 90-100days and gives yield of 100-120qtl/acre. Its keeping quality is average. It is resistant to late blight, early blight and leaf roll etc.

Kufri Badshah: Plants are tall with 4-5 stems per plant. Tubers are of large to medium, oval shape with dull white flesh. Tubers are tasty with good flavor. It matures in 90-100days. It is tolerant to frost, resistant to late blight, early blight.

Kufri Chandramukhi: Large oval shape potato, Gives average yield of 100qtl/acre. Ready to harvest in 80-90days.

Kufri Surya: Early maturing, heat tolerant variety ready to harvest in 75 to 90days. Creamy white color tubers with shallow eyes. Gives average yield of 80-120qtl/acre. 

Kufri Chipsona 2: Plants are of medium tall with few stems. Foliage is of dark green and flowers are of white color. Tubers are of white, medium size, round, oval shape with smooth skin. Gives average yield of 140qtl/acre. It is resistant to late blight. It is highly suitable for making chips and French Fries.

Kufri Pukhraj: Plant are tall with medium thick stems. Tubers are of white, large and oval shape with smooth skin. It matures in 70-90days and gives average yield of 160qtl/acre. It is resistant to early blight and not suitable for processing.

Kufri Chipsona 1: It is ready to harvest in 90-110days.

Other states variety

Kufri Chipsona – 4: Early maturing variety ready to harvest in 90-100days. Creamy white, round tubers with shallow eyes. Variety is suitable for processing. Gives average yield of 120-140qtl/acre.

Kufri Girdhari: Ready to harvest in 110-135days. Resistant to late blight disease. Gives average yield of 120-140qtl/acre.

Kufri Sadabahar: Ready to harvest in 90-100days. White cream color tubers. Gives average yield of 120-140qtl/acre.

Kufri Sutlaj: Plants are medium compact and thick stem. Foliage is of gray green color. Tubers are large size with oval shape and smooth skin. It matures in 90-100days with average yield of 160qtl/acre. It has good consumer quality, it easy for cooking with mild flavor. It not suitable for processing.    

Kufri Anand: Medium duration variety gives resistant to late blight and frost. Gives average yield of 140-160qtl/acre.

Kufri Ashoka: It is developed by CPIU, Shimla and suitable for cultivation in Bihar, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and west Bengal. Plant is of medium height with medium thick stem. It gets mature in 70-80days. Tubers are of large oval shape, white color with smooth skin. It is susceptible to late blight.  

Kufri Lalima: Potatoes are round, red with white flesh. Potatoes are large to medium size. Ready to harvest in 100-110days. Gives average yield of 16ton/acre.

Kufri Himalini: Medium duration variety, ready to harest in 110-120days. Gives average yield of 120-140qtl/acre. 

Kufri Himsona: Ready to harvest in 110-135days. Suitable for processing. Gives average yield of 60-80qtl/acre.

Kufri Giriraj, KufriShailja, Kufri Garima, Kufri Gaurav, KufriKhyati

Exotic varieties for processing purpose: White Potato

Table and Processing Purpose: Russet, Round white, Round Red, Yellow Flesh etc

Ploughing land at depth of 30cm and prepared bed for sowing. For Ploughing land use mould board plough or Disc harrow. Then take one or two tilling with desi plough or tiller. Level soil by planking operation after each tillage operation. Maintain sufficient moisture in soil before sowing. For planting, two methods are widely used, 1) Ridge and furrow method 2) Flat Bed method. 

Time of sowing

For kharif season, June – July is optimum time for sowing. Where as for Rabi season, complete sowing in October – November month.

Spacing

Planting distance vary with size of tubers. For sowing, use row to row distance of 45 to 60cm and plant to plant distance of 15 to 20cm.

Sowing Depth

Dig a trench of 6-8inch deep and plant piece of potato with eye pointing up. After seed sowing, cover seeds with soil layer up to 8-10cm height.  

Method of sowing

For sowing, use tractor operated semi-automatic or automatic planter.

Seed Rate

Use high quality medium size tubers for planting.Use seed rate of 8-10qtl/acre for sowing.

Seed Treatment

Select seed/tuber from reliable source. Remove potato tuber from cold storage and then keep in cool and shady place for one to two weeks to allow emergence of sprouts. To get uniform sprouting, treat tubers with Gibberellic acid@1gm/10Ltr water for 1hour then dry in shade and keep in aerated dim room for 10days. 

Dip cut tubers in solution of 0.5% Mancozeb solution (5gm/Ltr of water) for ten minutes. It will prevent rotting of tuber in early plantation stage. To protect crop from rotting and black scurf disease treat whole and cut tubers with 6% Mercury solution@0.25% (2.5gm/Ltr of water).

Fertilizer Requirement (kg/acre)

Nutrient Requirement (kg/acre)

If possible, before transplantation of potato, grow green manure crops like sumhemp, dhaincha etc and buried them in soil. If green manure is not available, apply 60-80qtl/acre of Farm Yard Manure or well decomposed Cow Dung at time of land preparation two weeks before planting. 

For optimum growth, it required, Nitrogen@60kg per acre in form of Urea@130kg/acre, Phosphorus@32kg/acre in form of SSP@200kg/acre and Potash@24kg/acre in form of MOP@40kg/acre. 

Apply half of Nitrogen fertilizer and whole dose of Phosphorus and Potash at time of sowing. Remaining dose of Nitrogen should be applied after 30days after planting at time of earthing up operation.

Earthing up: It necessary to maintain proper aeration, proper soil temperature and moisture in soil for good growth of crop and proper development of tubers. In earthing up soil is drawn up around base of plant to encourage better tuber formation. It should be done when plant attained height of 15-20cm. If required carry out second earthing up two weeks after first earthing up. It can be done manually with hoe or mould board plough or ridger for large areas.

WSF: To promote bulking in Potato, Spray 13:0:45@ 2kg and 100gm Magnesium EDTA per acre. Add Fungicide Propineb@3gm/Ltr of water as prophylactic. To increase number of tubers and size, spray with Humic acid (12%) @ 3ml+ MAP 12:61:00 @ 8gm/DAP @ 15gm/Ltr of water in vegetative stage.  

If pre-sowing irrigation is given, then apply first irrigation within 10-12days after sowing. Provide second irrigation seven days after first irrigation. Apply remaining irrigations, depending upon climatic conditions and need. Tuber formation is very important stage for irrigation. Avoid water stress at this stage. Avoid flood irrigation as it will cause rot disease. Stop irrigation 10-12days before harvesting.

Apply Metribuzine 70WP@200gm per acre or Alachlor@2Ltr per Acre before sprouts emergence. On 5-10% sprout emergence and ridge are infested with weeds then only apply Paraquat@500-750ml per acre. Remove weeds with hand in case of low infestation 25days after planting in plain areas and 40-45days in hilly areas when crop attained height of 8-10cm. Usually weedicide in potato plant are not required as earthing up operation destroyed almost all weeds.

Mulching is also an effective way to minimized weed infestation along with it helps to conserve soil moisture. Paddy straw or farm remains can be used for mulching. Remove mulch 20-25days after planting.

• Pests and their control:

Aphids: Adult and nymphs, both suck the sap thus weaken the plant. In severe infestation, they cause curling and deformation of young leaves. They secrete honey dew like substance and sooty, black mould is developed on affected parts.

Cut the foliage according region timing, to check infestation of aphid. If infestation of aphid and jassid observed take spray of Imidacloprid@50ml or Thiamethoxam@40 gm/acre/150ltr water.

Cut worms: They damage crop by cutting sprout at ground level. They feed at night so control becomes difficult.

As a preventive measure, use only well rotten cow dung. If infestation is observed, spray crop with Chlorpyrifos 20% EC@ 2.5ml per ltr of water. Apply Phorate 10G@4 kg/acre around plants and they cover with soil.

If infestation of tobacco caterpillar is observed then spraying with Quinalphos 25EC@ 20ml/10Ltr of water is done to control cut worms.

Leaf eating Caterpillar: They feed on potato leaves and thus damage the crop.

If infestation observed in field, spray crop with Chlorpyrifos or Profenofos@2ml or Lambda Cyhalothrin@1ml/Ltr of water.

Epilanchna Beetle: Larva and adults damages crop by feeding on leaves.

In initial phase of infestation, collect egg of beetle manually and then destroyed it away from the field. Take spray of Carbaryl@1gm per ltr of water.

White Grub: They remain in soil and damage crop by feeding on roots, stem and tubers. Infected plants show drying up. Grubs make holes in tubers.

As preventive measures, broadcasting with Carbofuran 3G@12kg or Thimet 10G@7kg/acre should be done at the time of sowing.

Potato Tuber Moth: It is major pest in field as well as in storage. It make tunnel in potato and feeds on flesh.

Use healthy and diseased free seeds for sowing. Use only well decomposed cow dung. If infestation is observed take spray of Carbaryl@1gm per Ltr of water.

• Diseases and their control:

Early blight: Necrotic spots observed on lower leaves. The fungus due which infestation occurred lies in soil. It rapidly spread in high moisture and low temperature.

Avoid mono cropping of crop and follow crop rotation. If infestation is observed, spraying of Mancozeb@30gm or Copper oxychloride@30gm/10ltr water at 45 days 2-3 times at 10 days interval should be done.

Black scurf: Black speck observed on tubers. Affected plants show drying up. In infected tubers, at time of sprouting, black, brown color appear on eyes.

For planting use diseased free tubers. Before sowing, seed treatment with Mercury is essential. Avoid mono cropping and follow crop rotation. If land kept fallow for two years then severity of disease is reduced.

Late Blight: Infestation is observed on lower part of leaves and tip of leaves. Irregular water spots are seen on infected leaves. Around the spot white powdery growth is observed. In severe condition, white powdery growth is seen on nearby soil surface of infected plants. This disease is rapidly spread in cloudy weather and after rains. If not controlled, it can cause loss up to 50%.

For sowing, use healthy and disease free seeds. If infestation is observed, take spray of Propineb@40gm/15Ltr of water.

Common scab: It survives in field as well as in storage. Disease is spread rapidly in low moisture condition. Light brown to dark brown lesion are appeared on infected tubers.

Use only well rotten cow dung for application in field. Use diseased free seeds for planting. Avoid deep planting of tubers. Follow crop rotation and avoid mono cropping in same field. Before sowing, treat seeds with Emisan 6@0.25% (2.5gm/ltr of water) for five minutes.

Bacterial soft rot: At base of plant black leg appears along with browning of infected tubers also plant give yellow appearance. In severe condition plant wilt and get died. On infected tubers soft, reddish spot appear on infected tubers.

For sowing, use healthy and disease free tubers. Before sowing treat seed with Boric Acid@3% (300gm/10Ltr of water) for 30minutes and then dried in shades. Before storage of tubers repeat the treatment with Boric Acid. In plains areas, treat seed with Carbendazim@1% (100gm/10Ltr of water) for 15minutes for effective control of disease.

Mosaic: Mosaic affected plants give faint yellow appearance along with stunted growth. Size and number of tuber get reduced.

For sowing use healthy and diseased free seeds. Inspect field regularly and destroyed infected plant and parts immediately. Take spray of Metasystox or Rogor@300ml in 200 litres of water per acre.

Dehaulming: It is necessary to get virus free seed also it increases size and number of tubers. Dehaulming means cutting of foliage close to ground at fix timing or date. Its timing is varying according to region and also on aphid population. In north it is carried out in last week of December.

Crop is ready for harvesting when majority of the leaves turn yellow-brown and fall on ground. Harvest crop 15-20days after dehaulming at proper moisture in soil. Harvesting can be done by tractor drawn potato digger or manually with help of spade or khurpi. After harvesting potatoes are spread on ground and allowed to dry in shade, keep them in heaps for 10-15days in shade for curing of skin. Remove damaged and rotten tubers.

Do sorting of tubers and remove cut, injured tubers. After sorting grading is done depending upon diameter or size of tubers. Over size tuber are having great demand as they are useful for chips making. Store potato at temperature of 4° to 7°C and relative humidity.