Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
6
Commercial Potato Production and
Cultural Management
Mark J. Pavek*
Department of Horticulture, Washington State University, Pullman, USA
Potatoes are grown throughout the world;
however, most commercial production is con-
centrated in geographic regions that have more
than
100
consecutive frost-free days, well-drained,
fertile soils, approximately
50-
60 cm of rainfall
or irrigation between planting and harvest, a
broad day/night temperature differential, absence of
extreme temperatures during the growing season,
and close proximity to markets, temperature-
controlled storages and mass transportation.
Ninety-three percent of the world's potatoes are
grown in the northern hemisphere (Hijmans,
2001). The two major global potato production
zones are temperate climates with a latitude be-
tween 45°N and 57°N, where potatoes are grown
as a summer crop, such as Western and Eastern
Europe, northern China, northern USA, and
southern Canada, and subtropic lowlands with
a latitude between 23°N and 34°N, where pota-
toes are grown as a winter crop, such as the
Ganges plain, southern China, southern USA,
northern Mexico, and Egypt (Hijmans, 2001).
The goal of most commercial producers is
to maximize profits and maintain or expand the
farm's productivity long term. As with most
businesses, the commercial production manager
must coordinate all the activities necessary to
produce a quality product. This means the man-
ager must have a thorough understanding of
the intended market(s) and buyer expectations.
Because potatoes are typically bought and sold
by size (
Table 6.1
), commercial producers often
manipulate in-field production such that the
yield of the most valuable tuber sizes is maxi-
mized. The tuber size profile can be reduced or
expanded by altering inter- and intra-row seed
spacing, controlling days of growth by planting
late or killing vines early, regulating inputs like
fertilizer and water, applying growth regulators,
and manipulating seed tuber physiological age.
In developed countries, cultural manage-
ment recommendations for various potato var-
ieties are often available through publicly or
privately funded research organizations such as
state and federal government agencies, potato
commissions, consultants, and international
cooperatives. Many aspects must be considered
when producing potatoes for profit. This chapter
focuses on the principles and components key
to successful commercial potato production.
Readers should also consider information found
in other chapters of this volume, as many con-
tain detailed accounts of topics such as whole-
plant growth and development, integrated pest
and weed management, postharvest physiology,
variety development, seed production and certi-
fication, etc. For variety and region-specific cul-
tural management recommendations, growers
should seek advice locally from public or private
agronomists.
