Potato (Solanum tuberosum)

  • The time of harvest is very important in potato as the development of tuber continues till vines die.
  • The crop is ready for harvest within 75-120 days of planting, when majority of the leaves turn yellow brown. At this stage, the tops are cut near the ground level.
  • The potatoes are dug out from the field by ploughing after 8-10 days. These potatoes are manually picked from the field and stored in shade.
  • Since manual harvesting is labour intensive, time consuming and causes lot of damage to the tubers, various low cost bullock drawn and tractor drawn potato diggers have been developed.
  • The harvested potatoes are surface dried and kept in heaps for 10-15 days in shade for curing of skin.
  • The tubers should not be exposed to direct sunlight as they become green. All damaged and rotten tubers should be removed.
  • The produce should be kept in a cool place before sending to the market.
  • The average yield of the early-maturing varieties is about 20 t/ha and that of the late varieties about 30 t/ ha.