The Step By Step Process Of Potato Farming In Africa
This guide will basically walk you through the step by step process of potato farming in Africa.
The process of commercial potato farming is the same even if you are growing potatoes in colder regions.You only need to consider the temperature and soil requirement in order to succeed.
So, let's get down to business.
Benefits Of Potato Farming
1. Potato farming is a good form of employment if done at the right scale.
2. It is great food for many homes around the world. Many families fry, boil, or roast potatoes for consumption.
3. Potatoes can serve as a major source of foreign exchange when exported to other countries.
4. There are amazing benefits of potatoes for skin, hair, and Health. Potato juice is used to treat some ailment and remove Warts.
5. Potatoes are good for shining your silverwares e.g. cutlery. You can also use potatoes to clean windows and remove stains.
6. It helps relieve arthritis, infections, and boils.
7. Potato is good for absorbing excess salt from a cooking pot.
8. Art students use potato for creating uniform patterns for stamp designs.
How to Grow Potatoes in Africa
Step 1: Select a Suitable Land for Growing Potatoes in Any West African Country.
Potatoes require adequate access to sunlight, therefore, you can grow it in an open area.
You can grow potatoes in almost any type of soil, except saline and alkaline soils containing jamb Runs.
Naturally, loamy and sandy loam soils that are rich in organic matter, are the most suitable soils for growing potato.
This is because the soils are loose and they offer the least resistance to enlargement of the tubers.
Also, make sure the soil has good drainage and proper aeration.
You should plant your potato in slightly acidic soil with a pH range of 5.2 - 6.4.
Step 2: How to Prepare Land for Planting Potatoes
Growing potatoes involves extensive ground preparation.
This stage of the potato planting process involves clearing the farm and ploughing the soil.
You need to harrow the soil with a hoe or plough until it is completely free of weed roots.
Most times, you need to plough at least three times, with a frequent harrowing and rolling before the soil reaches a suitable condition: soft, with adequate drainage and Waec Runs aeration.
You can incorporate fertilizer into the soil at this stage and also prepare seedbeds for the potatoes.
Step 3: Types of Potatoes and Selecting the Best Potato Variety
Although the potato cultivated worldwide belongs to just one botanical species, Solanum tuberosum, the tubers come in thousands of varieties.
The varieties have great differences in size, shape, colour, texture, cooking characteristics and taste.
You need to decide on the potato variety you want to plant.
There are different types to choose from, however, you have to consider some of these factors;
Factors to consider when choosing potato variety for cultivation
a. You must consider the disease resistance of the variety
b. The time it takes to reach maturity
c. You must also consider the level of productivity or yield of the potato
d. Check what is the overall quality of the potato it produces.
Selecting the Best Potato Variety for Cultivation
Like you already know, there are different varieties of seed potato available in Nigeria.
Some are local and while others come from other countries.
Some of the local varieties include;
- RC767-2
- RC7716-3
- RC7716-4
- RC777-3
Some varieties that come in through importation which are high yielding and highly resistant to diseases include;
- Nicola
- Bertita
- Diamant
- Kondor
- Famosa
- BR63-18
- Mirabel
Step 4: When to Cultivate and How to plant potato
While Sweet Potatoes is grown by planting stems from matured plants, Irish potatoes require seed propagation.
Potatoes may be planted as soon as you can till the land, but keep soil temperatures in mind.
Potato plants will not begin to grow until the soil temperature has reached 45 degrees F.
The soil should be moist, but free from waterlogging to avoid rotting the seed potato.
Method of planting Sweet Potatoes
Dig holes that are 10 to 18 inch apart for planting the potato stems.
You can apply compost manure directly into these holes, or do so when making the ridges/mounds.
Plant your freshly cut Sweet Potato stems in these holes with the budding eyes facing upwards, the cover it with soil.
Although the potato cultivated worldwide belongs to just one botanical species, Solanum tuberosum, the tubers come in thousands of varieties.
The varieties have great differences in size, shape, colour, texture, cooking characteristics and taste.
You need to decide on the potato variety you want to plant.
There are different types to choose from, however, you have to consider some of these factors;
Factors to consider when choosing potato variety for cultivation
a. You must consider the disease resistance of the variety
b. The time it takes to reach maturity
c. You must also consider the level of productivity or yield of the potato
d. Check what is the overall quality of the potato it produces.
Selecting the Best Potato Variety for Cultivation
Like you already know, there are different varieties of seed potato available in Nigeria.
Some are local and while others come from other countries.
Some of the local varieties include;
- RC767-2
- RC7716-3
- RC7716-4
- RC777-3
Some varieties that come in through importation which are high yielding and highly resistant to diseases include;
- Nicola
- Bertita
- Diamant
- Kondor
- Famosa
- BR63-18
- Mirabel
Step 4: When to Cultivate and How to plant potato
While Sweet Potatoes is grown by planting stems from matured plants, Irish potatoes require seed propagation.
Potatoes may be planted as soon as you can till the land, but keep soil temperatures in mind.
Potato plants will not begin to grow until the soil temperature has reached 45 degrees F.
The soil should be moist, but free from waterlogging to avoid rotting the seed potato.
Method of planting Sweet Potatoes
Dig holes that are 10 to 18 inch apart for planting the potato stems.
You can apply compost manure directly into these holes, or do so when making the ridges/mounds.
Plant your freshly cut Sweet Potato stems in these holes with the budding eyes facing upwards, the cover it with soil.
Step 7: How to Harvest the mature Potato
Harvesting your potatoes depends majorly on the weather conditions, the growth season, and the tuber size you desire.
However, the maturity period for growing potato is usually 2 to 3 months after planting.
Before you begin harvesting, wait until the tops of the vines die down and begin to wither.
Potatoes are tubers and you want your plant to store as much of that flavorful starch as possible.
Once the foliage turns brown, you should start preparing for harvest.
Usually, the harvest is done on a sunny day when the soil is slightly dry but not compact.
In the process of harvesting these potatoes, ensure there is minimal damage to the tubers before storage.
This will prevent the tubers from rotting quickly when in storage.
Harvesting your potatoes depends majorly on the weather conditions, the growth season, and the tuber size you desire.
However, the maturity period for growing potato is usually 2 to 3 months after planting.
Before you begin harvesting, wait until the tops of the vines die down and begin to wither.
Potatoes are tubers and you want your plant to store as much of that flavorful starch as possible.
Once the foliage turns brown, you should start preparing for harvest.
Usually, the harvest is done on a sunny day when the soil is slightly dry but not compact.
In the process of harvesting these potatoes, ensure there is minimal damage to the tubers before storage.
This will prevent the tubers from rotting quickly when in storage.
Step 8: How to Process and Store Potato after Harvest
Temperature and tuber damage are the two most important factors in successful potato storage. Very careful handling is the key to preventing damage.
Harvesting is best done when the soil is slightly moist to prevent abrasion and the tubers lifted carefully to avoid damage.
Ideally, they should be left to dry for a few hours in the field, collected in field containers and placed in a cool, shady place.
Potatoes for food (ware potatoes) must not stay under sunlight for more than a few hours otherwise they turn green, develop an unpleasant taste and may become toxic.
It is important to make the distinction between ware potato storage and seed potato storage.
The objective of ware potato storage main is to obtain the maximum quantity of tubers, of acceptable quality to the consumers, at a rate to meet consumer demand.
This requires the lowest possible quantitative and qualitative losses, with no or little sprouting, kept in the dark to prevent greening and firm tubers, all at an economical cost.
In seed potatoes storage the objective is to have optimum development of sprouts prior to planting.
In both cases, the farmer requires the maximum return from his investment in time, materials, equipment and buildings.
Potato Processing - Industrial Uses of Potatoes
Potatoes are processed in breweries to produce alcoholic beverages such as vodka
The flour from sweet potatoes is great for making biscuits, baking bread and cookies and many other uses in the food industry.
Livestock like goats and pigs eat potatoes. You can feed your livestock with potatoes which are either too small or damaged beyond human consumption. The potatoes are first steamed and fed to the livestock, or fed to them raw.
Food industries use the starch from potatoes as a thickener and binder for soups and sauces. Textile companies use potato starch as an adhesive, while paper companies use it for manufacturing papers and boards.
Researchers commonly use potato tubers as specimens in plant research because of some special characteristics that the plant possesses.
Temperature and tuber damage are the two most important factors in successful potato storage. Very careful handling is the key to preventing damage.
Harvesting is best done when the soil is slightly moist to prevent abrasion and the tubers lifted carefully to avoid damage.
Ideally, they should be left to dry for a few hours in the field, collected in field containers and placed in a cool, shady place.
Potatoes for food (ware potatoes) must not stay under sunlight for more than a few hours otherwise they turn green, develop an unpleasant taste and may become toxic.
It is important to make the distinction between ware potato storage and seed potato storage.
The objective of ware potato storage main is to obtain the maximum quantity of tubers, of acceptable quality to the consumers, at a rate to meet consumer demand.
This requires the lowest possible quantitative and qualitative losses, with no or little sprouting, kept in the dark to prevent greening and firm tubers, all at an economical cost.
In seed potatoes storage the objective is to have optimum development of sprouts prior to planting.
In both cases, the farmer requires the maximum return from his investment in time, materials, equipment and buildings.
Potato Processing - Industrial Uses of Potatoes
Potatoes are processed in breweries to produce alcoholic beverages such as vodka
The flour from sweet potatoes is great for making biscuits, baking bread and cookies and many other uses in the food industry.
Livestock like goats and pigs eat potatoes. You can feed your livestock with potatoes which are either too small or damaged beyond human consumption. The potatoes are first steamed and fed to the livestock, or fed to them raw.
Food industries use the starch from potatoes as a thickener and binder for soups and sauces. Textile companies use potato starch as an adhesive, while paper companies use it for manufacturing papers and boards.
Researchers commonly use potato tubers as specimens in plant research because of some special characteristics that the plant possesses.
Conclusion
Nothing can ever beat a first-hand experience of how to grow potato from a practicing farmer.
The amazing benefits of potato and its high demand in the market make it worthwhile to go into potato farming business.
Nothing can ever beat a first-hand experience of how to grow potato from a practicing farmer.
The amazing benefits of potato and its high demand in the market make it worthwhile to go into potato farming business.
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