Abstract:

Potato crop prefers well-pulverized seed bed for its better germination,

growth and yield.

Soil is brought to fine tilth through repeated tillage operations prior to

potato planting.

Tillage operations carried in potato cultivation can be grouped in to two,

1. Primary tillage and 2. Secondary tillage.

Country plough, mould board plough, disc plough, Bose plough,

cultivator are some of the commonly used primary tillage implements in

potato cultivation.

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Cultivator, harrows, planks are regularly used for secondary tillage

in potato fields.

However, country plough, cultivators and harrows are used as duel

purpose i.e. for both primary and secondary tillage operations in

potato fields in developing countries.

Land modifications for making preferred method of potato

planting, i.e. ridges and furrows in addition to other methods such

as planting flat beds, shallow furrow planting, planting tubers and

ridging etc. are made either manually or mechanically.

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Learning objectives:

To learn the primary and secondary tillage operations carried out in potato

cultivation in potato.

To know the different land modification needed for planting potato.

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Introduction:

Potato ranks fourth position in the world after wheat, rice and maize as

non-cereal food crop. It is used in many ways like vegetable, potato

wafers/chips, powder, finger chips etc.

Potato tubers constitute a highly nutritious food. It provides

carbohydrates, vitamin C, minerals, high quality protein and dietary fibre.

The potato needs well pulverized seed bed for tuber production.

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The soil is brought to a fine tilth by giving 8-10 ploughings followed by

planking (after each ploughing).

The process of planking levels the land, breaks the clods, collects the

weeds and compresses the soil slightly. The preparation of land is usually

begin at 6-8 weeks before the sowing of potato during which 25 tonnes/ha

of compost or FYM are applied to the soil.

The soil should be made free from stubbles, weeds and clods. Now-a-

days, tractors and power tillers are employed for land preparation the

latter makes the soil more pulverize, free from weeds and clods by

minimum number of tillage than that of country plough

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Primary tillage

The tillage operation that is done after the harvest of crop to bring the

land under cultivation is known as primary tillage or ploughing.

Ploughing is the opening of the compact soil with the help of different

ploughs.

Primary tillage is done mainly to open the hard soil and to separate the top

soil from lower layers and to uprooting of weeds also.

Potato is a crop whose growing season is short and whose planting time is

restricted. Speedy agricultural operations are a basic need to ensure

success. Previous Next End

The primary objective of tillage in potato is to prepare the land for

placement of tubers. The secondary objective of tillage is that is to control

the weeds in potato at the early stages of plant emergences.

Fine soil tilth is maintained for potato cultivation.

To achieve this, a very high number of tillage operations to the extent of

6-12 times is practiced which not only cause delay in planting at optimum

time but also, disturb the aggregation of soil particles as well as moisture

content in the soil.

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Experimental results however, suggest that the number of tillage

operations can be appreciably reduced.

There are several implements used for primary tillage are as follows.

Country plough

It is an indigenous plough and is one of the most common implements

used by potato farmers of developing countries. It is drawn with a pair of

bullocks. It is used both for tilling the land and harvesting of potato.

The plough can work up about 0.14 ha/day in the initial ploughing and

subsequently the efficiency increases to about 0.20 ha/day.

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Mould board plough

It is most suitable for primary tillage of almost all types of soil in potato

cultivation.

It cuts square furrow and the soil is inverted completely depending on the

curvature given to the mould board plough and thus help in burying the

weeds.

The mould board plough ploughs to a depth of 15 cm having width from

15 to 35 cm. It covers 0.20-0.26 ha/day.

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Bose plough

It is a modified form of mould board plough. It is made of wood except

the share which is made of steel or iron.

The structure and function of this plough is almost similar to mould

board plough.

This plough is gaining popularity among the potato farmers. Most of the

farmers of developing countries, cultivating potato are using this plough.

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Disc plough

It is also used for ploughing which have little resemblance to common

mould board plough. It is clod breaking implements which is invariably

used for initial ploughing in hard soil under potato cultivation. It can

cover about two hectares a day.

Spade

Spade is most common implements used for various agricultural

operations like bunding, channeling, ridging and harvesting of potato. It is

used for breaking and preparing of the soil when the land size is small.

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Secondary tillage

The tillage operations that are performed on the soil after primary

tillage to bring a good soil tilth are known as secondary tillage.

Secondary tillage consists of lighter or finer operation which is

done to clean the soil, break the clods and incorporate the manures

and fertilizers. Since the potato prefers fine seedbed, the secondary

tillage operations are inevitable.

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There are some implements used for secondary tillage are as follows

Cultivator

It is one of the most useful implements used for secondary tillage of potato

field.

It may also be used for primary tillage cultivation and weeding purposes soon

after the emergence of the plant.

It can cover 1.0 to 1.5 hectares of land in a working day of 8 hours.

Harrow

It is commonly used for secondary tillage and is drawn by a tractor in potato

fields. Harrows are used for making the soil loose and friable.

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It makes the soil pulverized very well and hurried the weeds completely.

It can cover 1.0 hectares of the land in a working day of 8 hours in tractor

attachment.

Harrows can also be attached with power tillers, but, the area coverage

will be lesser (0.5 ha/day).

Ladder or plank

It is an age old implement used for secondary tillage purposes in potato.

Planking is done to crush the hard clods level the soil surface and to

compact the soil lightly. It is pulled by a pair of bullock or tractor.Previous Next End

Land modification in potato

After tillage operations, potato is planted by different methods in various

parts of the world. However, ridge and furrow method is the most popular

method of potato planting.

The planting of potato can be grouped into two types, viz., manual and

mechanical planting. According to planting methods, resource availability

of farmers and soil types, the land modifications are also varies.

Hence, planting methods along with land modifications are given

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Manual planting

Shallow furrows drawn with curved /narrow-blade spade followed by planting and

covered the seed tubers on the North side of the ridge.

Another method is after marking with the rope or marker on the soil surface,

tubers are placed on these lines and then ridges are made either with bullock

drawn implements or with narrow-blade spade manually.

A double row method of planting came into practice in Jalandhar (India) in the

1950s, wherein fertilizers were applied on soil surface as a continuous band in

rows 70-80 cm apart, tubers were placed on soil surface on both sides of the band

about 10-15 cm apart, followed by ridging.

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In fine textured soils, after pre-planting irrigation and when soil is in

working condition, the seed tubers are inserted in about 5 cm below the

bottom of the furrows with sturdy thin edged tool in moist soil.

In some parts of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra (India),

while drawing the furrows with a country plough, cut seed or small tubers

are placed in the furrows by Pora or behind the plough in the furrows

manually, leaving the alternate furrow vacant. Planking is done after

planting.

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In another method, after application of fertilizers, first 10-12 cm high

ridges are formed with hand scraper or narrow blade spade or with

country plough and then tubers are dibbled at a depth of 5-7 cm from the

top in the centre of the ridge with Khurpa (a narrow-blade tool).

In heavy textured soils, furrows are opened first at a distance of 45-50 cm

and light irrigation is given.

At optimum soil moisture, soil is made fine and pulverized by ploughing

and then after placing the tubers, ridges are made.

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Mechanical planting

Tractor drawn 2 or 4 row marker-cum-fertilizer drill is used for making

furrows and placing of fertilizers in the furrows followed by planting with

2 or 4 row potato planter-cum-ridger.

A tractor drawn 2 or 4 row potato planter in which all the operations, viz.,

opening of furrows, application of fertilizers, placement of tubers and

ridging are combined together and done simultaneously.

It saves a lot of time and reduces soil compaction by tractor wheels

compared with the method where these operations are done separately in

two trips.

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After opening shallow furrows, tubers are placed in furrows followed by

ridging with tractor drawn ridger.

In another method, ridges are made with the tractor drawn ridger after

application of fertilizers and tubers are dibbled 5-7 cm deep on the ridges

manually.

Size of the ridge

Ridges and furrows

Size of the ridge depends upon the soil texture, availability of water and the

crop is planted for ware or seed purposes. Generally, 45-60 cm wide ridges are

preferred for potato cultivation.

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Thin and low ridges are favoured for quick emergence; require

low volume of water for getting moistened and save time as well

as cost of labour.

For early potato crop, quick and early emergence and fast grow

and development is important owing to short duration of the

crop.

Hence, it is desirable that only small volume of soil exists over

the seed tubers at planting and full ridge are made at earthing up.

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In the case of main crop, initial ridging to a height of 5, 10

and 15 cm after placing the seed tubers on soil surface

followed by earthing up after emergence to a uniform height

gave similar yields of main crop of potato.

A good ridge having triangular shape is necessary after

emergence to with stand irrigation water, to provide space for

developing tubers and to check greening of tube from

sunlight Previous Next End

The ridge height is reduced gradually with the running water with each

irrigation in coarse textured soil, whereas, in fine textured soil, negligible

reduction takes place and ridges remain firm and intact.

However, delayed irrigation at bulking favours development of cracks in

soils giving passage to sun rays which cause greening to the tubers.

Summary:

Potato crop needs well pulverized soil for its better performance.

The main objectives of tillage in potato are to prepare the land for

placement of tubers and to control the weeds.

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Bose plough is a common plough in developing countries and Disc

plough is used for initial ploughing in hard soil under potato cultivation.

Secondary tillage consists of lighter or finer operation which is done

through harrows, cultivator and planking.

Ridge and furrow method is the most popul

Planting in shallow furrows, marking and tubers are placed on these

lines, planting after pre-planting irrigation, inserting seed tubers 5

cm below the bottom of the furrows, Pora or behind the plough, are

some of the manual methods followed in potato cultivation.

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Tractor drawn 2 or 4 row marker-cum-fertilizer drill, tractor drawn 2 or 4

row potato planter, ridging with tractor drawn ridger are some of the

popular mechanical planting methods of potato.

Generally, 45-60 cm wide ridges are preferred for potato cultivation.

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1. Potato crop needs well pulverized soil (True / False)

2. Main objectives of tillage in potato is to make inter-cultural

operations (True / False)

3. Country plough is one of the most common implements used by

potato farmers of developing countries (True / False)

4. Harrow is commonly used for primary tillage and is drawn by a

tractor in potato fields (True / False)

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5.Cultivators can be used for primary tillage cultivation and weeding

purposes soon after the emergence of the plant (True / False)

6.Ridge and furrow method is the most popular method of potato

planting (True / False)

7.Less than 30 cm wide ridges are preferred for potato cultivation (True /

False)

 

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Hari Om and R.S. Hooda. 1985. Effect of methods of planting and fertilizer levels

on yield and quality of the potato. Journal of Indian Potato Association. 12 (1-2):

105-109.

http://www.niir.org/books/book/potato-potato-products-cultivation-seed-

production-manuring-harvesting-organic-farming-storage-processing-npcs-board-

consultants-engineers/isbn-9788190439893/zb,,131,a,0,0,a/index.html

Kushwah, V.S. and P.M. Govindakrishnan, 1993. Cultural practices for potato

cultivation. In: Advances in Horticulture, Vol. 7-Potato. Eds. Chandha, K.L. and

J.S. Grewal, Malhotra Publishing House, New Delhi.

Kushwah, V.S. and S.S. Lal. 1988. Cultural practices for seed potato production.

Seeds and Farms. 14 (9): 11-15. 

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