You must employ the correct potato seed rate per acre in Kenya for you to have high yield harvest. All these essential facts of potato seeds I have documented in this guide just for you.

Potatoes are a staple meal and a cash crop with a high amount of vitamins, minerals, and important organic components, making them a good source of nutrition and energy.

Kenya’s growing population, urbanization, and fast food appeal are pushing rising demand for potatoes as a complement to maize and rice as staple crops.

Potatoes thrive in well drained soils and do not grow well in soggy soil. Optimum growth can be realized in loamy soils that allows easy movement and aeration of roots.

Potato Seed Rate Per Acre In Kenya

For optimum production, potato farming in Kenya requires a certain amount of seeds to be planted per acre. Potato planting rates of 2 to 2,5 tons per hectare are recommended for tubers with a diameter of 45-60mm.

Remember that 1 ton equals 1000 kg = 2.200 lbs., and 1 hectare equals 2,47 acres = 10.000 m2. Potato planting rates of 1,5 to 1,8 tons per hectare are indicated for tuber diameters 28-35 mm.

Reasons For Poor Harvest From Potato Seed Per Acre

Despite potato farmer applying the correct potato seed rate during planting, some farmer still get lower harvest than the expected and harvest only about 3-6 tons per acre.

Some contributing reasons to this poor performance include:

• Monocropping,
• Inadequate soil preparation methods,
• Planting the seed in a furrow rather than a bed,
• Inferior potato seeds,
• Poor fertilizer application,
• Insufficient disease management
• Significant harvest and post-harvest losses

By correcting the shortcomings, starting with seed potato selection, the output in Kenya may be improved to 20 to 30 tonnes per acre. Potato growers are being compelled to utilize low-quality seed due to a scarcity of certified seed, which is limiting production.

By correcting the deficiencies, starting with seed potato selection, the output in Kenya may be improved to between 20 and 30 tonnes per acre. Potato growers are being compelled to utilize low-quality seed due to a scarcity of certified seed, resulting in lower yields.

Potato Seed Spacing

Potato farming in Kenya can either be done using manual technique or use of modern equipment. Potato seeds can be sown using tractor-mounted automated potato planting equipment. These devices can perform a variety of tasks.

They plow the field and plant the seeds at the required depth, providing enough space between the potato seeds inside each row and between rows.

Within the row, a spacing of 10-15 inches (25-38cm) is ideal, while the gap between rows should be between 28 and 36 inches (70-90cm).

We can have a plant population ranging from 25,000 to 60,000 plants per acre under this approach. For late-emerged seed, the required plant numbers are typically larger.

Potato Seed Yield Per Acre

Under optimum conditions, potato matures in 2-3 months and the production for various potato varieties include:

1 Kerr’s Pink Potato

• Yields 10,000 – 12,000Kg per acre

2 Dutch Robjn Potato

• Yields 14,000 – 16,000Kg per acre

3 Roslin Tana Potato and Nyayo Potato

• Yields 14,000 – 18,000Kg per acre
• Other varieties Kenya Sifa, Kenya Faulu, Kenya Mavuno

Water Requirement For Potato Seed

After planting, potato farm requires water for them to efficiently germinate. During the growth season, potatoes require 850–1,200 mm of rainfall.

Scab, hollow heart, poor dry matter, and low tuber set are all caused by low and variable moisture during potato growing season.

Kenya’s production is primarily rain-fed, and it is scheduled to correspond with the two wet seasons (long & short rains).

In their potato crop, some farmers utilize furrow irrigation while others use sprinkler irrigation.

Ridging/Earthing-up Of Potato Seed

Ridge or soil up the rows as the potatoes develop (first when the crop is 15-20cm tall and weeded, then every 2 weeks for 3 times), with the last ridging done before the plant blooms.

To avoid compaction, do not earth-up when the soil is moist.

A well-constructed hill helps manage weeds, avoids tuber greening, and decreases potato tuber moth infestation.

Harvesting of Potato in Kenya

Depending on the potato variety, maturity might take anywhere from 3 to 4 months after planting.

Tubers harvested when young have a lower dry matter content and greater skin damage, making them more susceptible to fungal and bacterial pathogen infection.

Seed potatoes, on the other hand, are frequently harvested early to minimize viral infection later in the growing season.

To prevent greening and the invasion of the potato tuber moth, tubers should be completely covered with soil.

The epidermis of tubers is hardened by cutting vegetative material two weeks before harvesting (dehaulming).

Skin tuber hardening minimizes tuber damage during harvesting and post-harvest handling.

Best Way To Store Harvested Potato

Tubers dug from the ground should be kept clean and dry, with mature skins free of wounds, insect infestations, and illnesses.

To avoid greening, keep potatoes in a dark location.

It should be cool and properly ventilated in the store.

Seed potatoes should be stored in a cool place with diffuse light to encourage the development of colored, short sprouts; however, direct sunlight should be avoided.

Related:

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Conclusion

Applying the correct potato seed rate per acre in Kenya can bring about an optimum harvest. Having the needed knowledge as a farmer can increase your chances of featuring among the successful potato farmers in Kenya. Besides, potato farming in Kenya is a profitable venture.