News / Local
Women's co-operative expecting bumper sack potato harvest
16 Mar 2014 at 03:46hrs | Views
A women's co-operative, Hama Mawoko, of Sizinda high-density suburb in Bulawayo is looking forward to realising an optimum yield from its 500-sack potato project.
The 21-member co-operative started the project late last year in a bid to improve household food security as well as generating income from selling the produce.
Under the system, the potatoes are planted in 25 to 50 kg woven polythene sacks filled with fertile soil. Once the plant sprouts, more soil is gradually added to the bag until it is full. Returns from such controlled growth are said to be much higher than those from a crop that is put into the ground.
The practice is now popular in most urban and peri-urban areas throughout the country largely because of climate change due to global warming. It has been discovered that sack potato growing enhances production as compared to other methods.
"We started this potato production project as a group last year. We have 500 bags and the crop is now over two months and we are looking forward to harvesting next month.
"The whole idea is to ensure that we fend for our families as well as selling the surplus for the purpose of generating revenue," said the co-operative vice secretary, Mrs Jestina Matabvu.
About sack Potato production
Soil preparation:
The soil should be sterilized so as to ensure that nematodes, bugs, fungi and worms are destroyed.
Potato Seed:
Potato seed is normally supplied in 30 kg pockets containing sizes from 25 mm to 56 mm in diameter and an average of 400 tubers in each pocket.
Sprouting of seed potato:
Sprouting is the development of shoots in potatoes . Each tuber is expected to form 2 to as many as 10 buds or eyes, arranged in a spatial pattern around its surface. The buds generate shoots that grow into new plants when conditions are favourable.
Pre-sprouting of tubers help to increase the number of main stem and consequently the crops' final yield .Sprouting also ensures quick, uniform and full germination.
Sprouting is done by storing the tubers in diffuse light .Tubers smaller than 25mm should not be used as seed. Farmers may sprout tubers by chitting trays or forced sprouting method.
Planting of potato seeds in sacks:
Pack treated soil of between 16 to 20 kgs in each sack. Arrange the sacks in a row and water them with a 5 litre can. Allow the water to soak and use a garden shovel to make a hole of about 10cm deep at the centre of the sack. Apply seed fertilizer (Compound S ) in the hole using a 30 gram cup .Cover the fertilizer with the soil. Place one potato seed in the hole with sprouts facing upright. Treat the seed and the surrounding soil in the hole with Phenamophos and cover the seed leaving the sprouts slightly underneath the surface so remove dry air from the soil. Continuously water the seed after every 7 days in winter and 3 days in summer using a 5 litre can .The potato seed usually takes 7 days to germinate .
Add soil in the sacks as the potato grows leaving about three leaves outside the surface .Continue adding soil until the sack is full .Drench with karate or Lamda watering each time soil is added .Watering should be sufficient to soak the soil in the sack.
Harvesting:
At the end of the growing season, the plants' leaves and stems die down to the soil level and its new tubers detach from their stolons.The crop will be ready for harvesting when 95% of the leaves have died. In some cases ,and in seed production ,the crop canopy is destroyed prematurely for early harvesting or seed production or where severe attack of late blight is feared.Where chemical destruction is employed ,it is advisable to lift the crop within 10 days to avoid black scurffy. Potatoes are harvested when the potato skin is hardened sufficiently to reduce physical damage during lifting.
Packaging and storage:
Use potato packaging pockets of 15 kilogrammes to pack potato produce. Store in a cool and dry shed and do not wash the produce as this might cause sprouting. Potatoes usually do not sprout until 2 to 3 months after harvest.
The 21-member co-operative started the project late last year in a bid to improve household food security as well as generating income from selling the produce.
Under the system, the potatoes are planted in 25 to 50 kg woven polythene sacks filled with fertile soil. Once the plant sprouts, more soil is gradually added to the bag until it is full. Returns from such controlled growth are said to be much higher than those from a crop that is put into the ground.
The practice is now popular in most urban and peri-urban areas throughout the country largely because of climate change due to global warming. It has been discovered that sack potato growing enhances production as compared to other methods.
"We started this potato production project as a group last year. We have 500 bags and the crop is now over two months and we are looking forward to harvesting next month.
"The whole idea is to ensure that we fend for our families as well as selling the surplus for the purpose of generating revenue," said the co-operative vice secretary, Mrs Jestina Matabvu.
About sack Potato production
Soil preparation:
The soil should be sterilized so as to ensure that nematodes, bugs, fungi and worms are destroyed.
Potato Seed:
Potato seed is normally supplied in 30 kg pockets containing sizes from 25 mm to 56 mm in diameter and an average of 400 tubers in each pocket.
Sprouting of seed potato:
Sprouting is the development of shoots in potatoes . Each tuber is expected to form 2 to as many as 10 buds or eyes, arranged in a spatial pattern around its surface. The buds generate shoots that grow into new plants when conditions are favourable.
Pre-sprouting of tubers help to increase the number of main stem and consequently the crops' final yield .Sprouting also ensures quick, uniform and full germination.
Sprouting is done by storing the tubers in diffuse light .Tubers smaller than 25mm should not be used as seed. Farmers may sprout tubers by chitting trays or forced sprouting method.
Planting of potato seeds in sacks:
Pack treated soil of between 16 to 20 kgs in each sack. Arrange the sacks in a row and water them with a 5 litre can. Allow the water to soak and use a garden shovel to make a hole of about 10cm deep at the centre of the sack. Apply seed fertilizer (Compound S ) in the hole using a 30 gram cup .Cover the fertilizer with the soil. Place one potato seed in the hole with sprouts facing upright. Treat the seed and the surrounding soil in the hole with Phenamophos and cover the seed leaving the sprouts slightly underneath the surface so remove dry air from the soil. Continuously water the seed after every 7 days in winter and 3 days in summer using a 5 litre can .The potato seed usually takes 7 days to germinate .
Add soil in the sacks as the potato grows leaving about three leaves outside the surface .Continue adding soil until the sack is full .Drench with karate or Lamda watering each time soil is added .Watering should be sufficient to soak the soil in the sack.
Harvesting:
At the end of the growing season, the plants' leaves and stems die down to the soil level and its new tubers detach from their stolons.The crop will be ready for harvesting when 95% of the leaves have died. In some cases ,and in seed production ,the crop canopy is destroyed prematurely for early harvesting or seed production or where severe attack of late blight is feared.Where chemical destruction is employed ,it is advisable to lift the crop within 10 days to avoid black scurffy. Potatoes are harvested when the potato skin is hardened sufficiently to reduce physical damage during lifting.
Packaging and storage:
Use potato packaging pockets of 15 kilogrammes to pack potato produce. Store in a cool and dry shed and do not wash the produce as this might cause sprouting. Potatoes usually do not sprout until 2 to 3 months after harvest.
Source - Sunday News
