Irish potato farming is common, not just because of the ease of planting it but also for the sweetness of Irish Potato itself. If you are on this page, you are somehow interested in potato farming and looking to broaden your knowledge about it. Fortunately, you are on the right page. In this post, I will explain everything you need to know about potato farming this year.
Potato is one crop that is cultivated with the same method both in cold and huge regions. Hence, it can be easily managed virtually everywhere in Nigeria. However, even if it does grow with the same pattern anywhere you need to look out for the temperature and soil requirement which will be explained later on in this article.
If you are already seeing this as technical, don’t worry this is a beginners guide and it has been brought down to the lowest level of work.
Benefits of Irish potato farming
The benefits attached to Irish potato farming are as follows;
1. Potatoes are a nutritious source of food for several people in Nigeria. Virtually every household eats this. It is versatile and can be converted to different forms by frying, boiling and roasting tomatoes.
2. If a certain nation is blessed with the chance of growing potatoes in higher momentum and they are serious with it, this could be a lift for the country’s revenue.
3. There are amazing benefits of potatoes for skin, hair, and Health. Potato juice is used to treat some ailments and remove warts.
4. This can also be severe as a source of dependable employment to improve the standard of living.
5. If you don’t Know they are used as shining and cleaning agent for cutlery, windows and stains.
6. Perhaps you don’t know, these are natural substances used for removing excess salts from foods and several solutions.
7. It improves the body’s health and immunity against infections.
How to Start Irish Potato Farming in Nigeria
Choose a suitable site considering the necessary factors. Potatoes are most grown in areas where they receive an average of 7-8 optimum sunlight every Saturday. It can be grown in acidic soils but you should never try to to involve alkaline soil or any PH more than 7.
Also, make sure that you are going for a natural Sandy, loamy soil with good drainage. This is to ensure that the root of the soil which will hold the fruit is soft enough to compress itself when the potato is becoming bigger.
Land Preparation for Irish Potato Farming
The next step is to prepare the land after you have chosen a suitable site for your planting season. Now the plan is that you clear the land and keep it free from any debris.
Make sure the land does not have a single weed on it. If you can’t manage that alone, use the normal machines used for weeding. After which you will have to plough and harrow the soil frequently.
This will help the soil to reach the highest condition during planting. Also, the mixing of the soil and softening the soil will be much easier. In short, the soil drainage, aeration activity and water running system must be optimised through the land preparation.
Select the best variety for your potato Farming
There are several varieties of potatoes and you need to note which one would grow very well on your own site. According to experts, there are a thousand varieties of Potato.
You would easily notice that different potatoes are available in the market. Those are the varieties mostly planted in Nigeria. They differ in size, shape, color, texture, cooking characteristics and taste.
Choose a variety with high resistance to disease and pest. So that they can be free from emergency attacks or inflammation of different infections.
Also, check the maturity time and how long it takes to grow very well. Also, the harvest periods should be noticed. Varieties planted in Nigeria are: Nicola, Diamant, RC7716-4, Mirabel, RC767-2, RC7716-3, Famosa, Condor etc.
Planting
The next step is for you to plant your preferred variety. There is the Irish potato which is grown by seed planting while the sweet potato is grown by stem propagation. Make sure that anyone that you want to plant must grow well in the soil.
Start from tilling the land, making your ridges then playing via seeds or stems. At least make sure that you have applied fertilizer to the soil about 1 week before planting.
Also make sure that there is availability of proper irrigation during planting but don’t over water the soil. During planting, keep weeds out of the soil because they can harbor pests and diseases which would later destroy your yields during harvest. Let’s see what harvesting potatoes looks like.
Harvesting
Your potato should be matured enough once it is about 2-3 month after planting. Although you still have to wait a little bit for the top of the vines to whine down before you start to think of getting your potato out of the soil. Also, leave the foliage to turn brown in order to improve the quality of your potato. Don’t leave it in the soil for too long or it might decay.
Conclusion
If you have the capital and potential of starting a potential potato farming Business, then you should start it. This is a sufficient business which you can invest in.
The market is large enough to accommodate any farmer right now. In potato farming, making sure your Agric practices are at optimum par is very important. This will only make your business lucrative enough for others to take as an example. Apart from that, you are going to lose a lot in your business.
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