POTATO
Planting potatoes using growths has been tried and found better than using the root crop itself. The former is more productive and grows faster. This is possible with the varieties Ackersegen and Mariella.
Manner of Planting
1. Select potatoes free from disease with growths around 1-3 cm long.
2. Cut up the parts with growths that will serve as " cuttings ".
3. Plant these first in a pot.
4. When 4 or more leaves come out, this can be transferred in the field.
5. Potatoes like clayey soil or sandy soil. Seve the soil to remove dirt and clumps of soil. Mix the soil with animal manure. 1 part soil and 2 aprts dried manure.
6. Make pots out of banana or nanka or similar wide leaves.
7. Fill this with the mixture of soil and manure.
Cutting Up the Growths - The best time for cutting growths is from October to the first days of November.
1. Remove with hand the growths from the flesh of the potato.
2. Cut up the potato with growths around 4-5 mm size.
3. Place the growths in the center of each pot and press gently until it is halfway down in the soil mixture.
4. Place these in shade where there is no strong wind.
5. Water with hose 3-4 times a day.
6. In 3-5 days, roots and shoots will grow.
7. 0n the 7-8 days, put them in a place with adequate sunlight.
8. Put 1 gram urea and 2 grams single superphosphate in a liter of water, and spray this on the plants 2-3 times a day.
9. After 2 weeks, plants will be about 7-10 cm. high. This can now be transferred to the field.
10. The mother potato from where the growths were taken can also be planted.
If shoots are many, 2 growths can be taken from every root crop and planted immediately.
Planting
1. Make beds where the cuttings will be planted. Make the soil fine, and plant the cuttings 20-25 cm apart.
2. Apply fertilizer :
. animal manure - 2 kgs/sq. m. or 20 tons/ hectare.
. superphosphates - 350 grms./hectare
. muriate of potash - 150 gms./hectare
. nitrigen - 150 gms./hectare
3. In planting, choose a time when it is not rainy. Transplant the whole plant from its pot so as not to hurt the roots. Place 1-2 plants in every hill. Put soil around each plant.
4. Water the plants 2 times a day for a week.
5. From transplanting, apply fertilizer 4 times: 12-15, 25-30, 40-45, 55-60.
6. After 3-4 weeks without rain, irrigate the plants as in ordinary irrigation.
Harvesting
1. Choose only matured root crops.
2. Store in a place with plenty of sunlight. Let this harden and turn green.
3. after 7-8 days, store in the usual way of storing crops.
SWEET POTATO (KAMOTE)
Planting
There is one way of planting kamote that has been tried that can make it yield 20% more. The stems to be planted are taken from healthy plants, 2 to 3 months old. The cut stems are watered first, then covered with plastic sheet for 2 days. When ready for plantin, the stems will have developed small roots which will hasten the growth of the new plant. It is advised not to remove the leaves before planting as this will reduce the roots that will eventually become crops.
Harvesting
Sweet potatoes can be harvested about 3 1/2 - 4 months after planting. If the harvesting is made too early or too late, only a few crops are harvested and the quality is not good. The over natured ones are fibrous and rot easily. Do not harvest after a rain or when the ground is wet because the fruit contains much water then, and will rot easily. Besides it is harder to gather and clean the crops whenthe soil is muddy it is easy t when the soil is dry.
Procedure in Harvesting
1. Cut the vine first, roll it over to one side and plow the beds to bring out the crops.
2. If done manually, do not use pointed metal tools but wooden tools with pointed ends so as not to hurt the crop.
3. Carefully cut the vine in separating the crop.
4. Cut the vine closest to the crop.
5. Do not pile up the crops so as not to bruise them.
6. Do not leave the newly harvested crops exposed to the sun. This will make them dry up and shrivel.
7. Put the crops under a shade.
Storing Procedure
1. Use a right size basket to contain the harvested crops- not overflowing so as not to bruise them. It is in bruises and hurts that rotting starts.
2. Becuase of this do not use sacks for storing.
3. The storage place must be near to your house or farm so the crops will be transported easily.
4. Use bamboo, cogon or coconut leaves for roofing and sawali for for walls in storage places.
source: elgu2.ncc.gov.ph
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