Potatoes
Varieties
Introduction
Potatoes have great potential to support food, income and nutrition security and build resilient livelihoods among Malawians. Potatoes can be grown throughout the year in Malawi.
Main Objective
To improve the knowledge and skills among small holder farmers to improve production and quality of potato in a sustainable way. In addition, the content aims to improve the Nutrition, Food availability and income of the farmers.
At the end of this module, the farmer should be able to:
- Gain knowledge on positive seed selection and management for planting potato
- Understand good land practices and management for potato
- Understand how to manage pests, diseases in potato
- Reduce post-harvest handling losses of Potato
OPTIMAL ECOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS
a. Soil Requirements
- Potatoes perform well in well drained Sandy loam soils and rich in organic matter with a pH range of 5.0–6.5. The sandy loam soil enables easy expansion of the tubers
- It is recommended that soil testing be carried out to establish the soil pH and make corrections where necessary. Alkaline soils cause potatoes to have scales and rough skin, a condition which is called scab.
- Whichever type of soil they are planted, it should be tilled to a fine texture to allow air circulation and expansion of tubers.
b. Temperature Requirements
- Potatoes grow best under cool conditions with temperature range of 16-18oC. Tuber formation is promoted by short days (sunlight hours of less than 13). Long day periods prolong growth cycle. The temperature range during growth preferably should be 15-20oC. Temperatures above this range decrease the rate of tuber formation and usually ceases at 29oC.
RECOMMENDED VARIETIES
Chuma
Features: Red smooth skin, Oblong shaped, Yellow flesh colour, superficial shallow eyes
Plant description: Tall variety with slender stems and blooms with white flowers
Use: Chips, Specialty crisp variety
Disease resistance: Strong resistance to late blight, viruses
Maturity: Late maturity (90-120 Days)
Yield potential: 14,000-16,000 KGs/Acre
Violet
Features: Long with large tubers, Violet skin with pale yellow flesh. Superficial eyes and distinct dark violet sprouts
Plant description: Strong tall stems, with purple hue at the base.
Use: Chips, mostly table potato
Disease resistance: Succumb to late blight
Maturity: Medium maturity (90-105 Days)
Yield potential: 10,000-12,000 KGs/Acre
Rosita
Features: Red skin, Long oblong shaped, Medium to large tubers, Yellow flesh colour, superficial eyes
Plant description: with an erect medium-tall plant with strong and dark deep green medium leaves. It flowers scarcely and the flowers are white with some light purplish hue
Use: Chips, table as well
Disease resistance: Succumb to late blight
Maturity: Early maturity (90 Days)
Yield potential: 7,000-10,000 KGs/Acre
Thandizo
Features: White/cream skin tubers, with pale yellow flesh colour, round tubers
Plant description: Medium to tall plants that flowers profusely; mostly white flowers
Use: Chips, Mostly table
Disease resistance: Moderate tolerance to late blight and good resistance to viruses
Maturity: Early maturity (90 Days)
Yield potential: 14,000-16,000 KGs/Acre
Zikomo
Features: Round shape, medium eyes, pink skin with pale yellow flesh, intermediate eye depth
Plant description: It is an erect tall variety with strong stems and light green broad leaves and flowers are pink
Use: Table variety
Disease resistance: Moderately tolerant to late blight and viruses
Maturity: Late maturity (90-115 Days)
Yield potential: 14,000 KGs/Acre
Mwai
Features: Oblong tubers, pink outer skin with pale yellow flesh colour. Has shallow/superficial eyes
Plant description: Mwai is an erect medium tall plant, with strong stems.
Use: Chips, Table variety
Disease resistance: Moderately susceptible to late blight and most virus
Maturity: Late maturity (90-120 Days)
Yield potential: 14,000-16,000 KGs/Acre
Lady Rosetta
Features: Round; flaky red skin; shallow eyes, moderately numerous and evenly distributed; moderately prominent eyebrows; cream to light yellow flesh
Plant description: Tall, spreading; medium number of fine stems, very branching and strongly pigmented; wings prominent, waved double; moderately swollen nodes, weakly to not pigmented. Has dark green leaves
Use: Chips, Specialty crisp variety
Disease resistance: Highly susceptible to late blight
Maturity: Late maturity (110-120 Days)
Yield potential: 12,000 KGs/Acre
Mtukulapakhomo
Features: The tubers are round. It has a cream skin tuber colour, with white tuber flesh colour
Plant description: Has erect growth with medium tall plant with strong medium green leaves. It flowers scarcely and has medium flower size.
Use: Boiling, mashing and french fry
Disease resistance: Moderately tolerant to late blight Maturity: Early maturing variety, 90-110 days
Yield potential: 12,000 Kgs/Acre