Planting and ridging.
Potatoes on ridges
Growing potatoes on ridges allows shallow planting, since later in the season a ridge is build to protect tubers with sufficient soil.
Newly grown potatoes are well protected by soil layer
The tubers are better drained if the crop is grown in ridges than when grown in flat soil.
Growing of potatoes on ridges also facilitates surface (furrow) irrigation.
Ridges in landscape FLD 1---Ridges in landscape FLD 2
Covering of tubers by a layer of soil protects tubers against:
- greening
- attack by insects (e.g. tuber moth)
- attack by fungi (e.g. Phytophthora infestans)
- high temperature (second growth)
- physiological disorders (growth crack, hollow heart, etc.)
Covering of tubers by a layer of soil protecting the tubers, can be achieved by:
- deep planting
- making large and well shaped ridges
- increasing row distance which facilitates the making of better ridges.
Planting depth
The planting depth determines the position of tubers growing in the ridge and influences the depth of the layer of earth protecting these tubers.
PLANTING DEPTH
Row distance and ridge size
With increasing row distance it is easier to make a sufficiently large ridge in which the tubers are well protected.
ROW DISTANCE AND RIDGE SIZE
Time of ridging and re-ridging
In many cases, soon after planting only a shallow ridge is made and the final ridge is then made at emergence or when plants are 15-20 cm high.
A final ridge is already made at planting in case temperature is expected to be relatively high (>12-15 C) and herbicides with a residual effect are used.
TIME OF RIDGING=======PLANTING METHODS