Potato Crop Management
Vegetable Farming in South Africa
Harvesting
Harvest potatoes when the plant is completely dead. This can be done by hand with a fork or by mechanical harvester. Soil must be only slightly damp when harvesting.
Yield (tonnes per hectare)
Conservative: 15 tonnes
Average: 30 tonnes
Good: 40+ tonnes
Storage
If the soil is dry then potatoes can last a while in the soil. No irrigation or rain must occur. If the soil is wet then all potatoes must be harvested immediately. Once harvested they must be removed from sunlight and cleaned packed in a dark, cool and dry place.
Pests
Common pests found in potato crops are Thrips, tuber moth, aphids and nematodes
Diseases
Common diseases in potato crops are: Downy mildew, purple blotch, leaf mould, black mould, soft rot, bulb rot.
By
Louise Brodie