To see a slide show of the process of growing potatoes click here .
Potato growers today must have an in-depth understanding of potato plant physiology. Plant knowledge makes it possible for them to manipulate both environmental and physiological conditions. Climate, soil content and structure, altitude, latitude, length of growing season and geographic area are all variables that can either be manipulated or responded to in various ways in order to ensure a top-quality potato. Recognition of the considerable differences among potato cultivars in responding to each of these variables must also be taken into account. Growers must study and research all through the planting and growing process in order to get a high quality, high yielding potato crop.
Potatoes have come a long way from their origins in the small mountain fields of South America. Today, potatoes are grown all around the world, in more than 180 countries. Only corn grows in more places. Russia leads in potato production, growing about 33% of the world crop. Following Russia is Poland, the United States and either Canada or China.
Crop rotation is practiced in potato production. Potatoes are usually rotated with wheat and alfalfa, barley and sugar beets. Commercial fertilizers are worked into the soil in varying amounts per soil, climate and cultivar requirements.
Today, instead of leaving the small potatoes that are no good for eating in the ground to sprout again as the Indians did in the Andes, commercial potato growers harvest all the potatoes and the small tubers are usually processed into potato flakes or granules. Most potato growers rotate their fields from year to year so the same field never has a potato crop two years in a row. When a field is planted into potatoes, potato growers use large mechanical planters that can plant several rows of high-quality seed potatoes at one time. Planting may take place as early as November or as late as June, depending on the climate or the region.
The seed potato, or seed, is dropped into a trough by a mechanical planter. Planting depth and spacing must be exactly determined as it varies from cultivar to cultivar, climate to climate. Soil analysis determines which fertilizers are necessary and in what amounts. Then fertilizer is deposited on either side of the potato and a hill of earth is made on top of the planted seeds or seed potatoes. Again, the depth of the seed or seed potato must be exactly determined. While the plant is growing, the field is monitored for diseases and pests. If they are found, measures are taken to control them. Chemicals can be sprayed on the fields by cropdusters, chemigated through the irrigation systems, or sprayed by machine.
The plants are killed when it's time for harvesting if they haven't died due to cold weather. This allows the tubers to mature and the skin to set so they will store well. It is easier for the harvesting machines to do their work when the plants are dead and desiccated. Many harvesting machines can pick up to eight rows of potatoes at a time. They cut off the vine, lift the potatoes out of the ground, separate the earth and stones from the potatoes and load the potatoes by conveyer belt into a truck.
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