Land preparation
- Choose land with well-drained sandy loamy soils: Knowing their soil’s composition is crucial for farmers because it will help them choose the appropriate seeds. To prevent losses, farmers should, for instance, testing the soil before planting and be more familiar with the seed that thrives there.
- First plough the land to soften it.
- Plough for the second round before planting.
- leveling the land before making rows or holes
- Make planting holes that are 10 cm deep.
Keep in mind that proper tilling and drainage are necessary to improve the soil’s oxygen supply, which is a crucial component for Irish potato growth. Raised beds work best for growing Irish potatoes.
Planting
Potato seed: Before you consider everything else, choose the best potato seed for your soil. The productivity of the potato depends on the quality of the seeds.
Potato seed must:
- Be disease free
- be free from any defects
- Have sprouted enough ( 3-4 sprouts),
- Be selected and certified: You can buy potato seed from a nearby seed multiplier
Planting time: potatoes are planted in September for Season A; and between February and March for season B, following how it rains.
Planting practices:
- On one 1ha, use 2 to 2.5 tons of seeds,
- Spacing: 80cm between rows and 30 cm between holes;
- Apply farm manure and NPK 17 17 17 to planting holes prior to planting, then fill them with soil. With the sprouts facing up, plant one potato in each hole that is 8 to 10 cm deep. Add soil on top of the potato seed.