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Every gardener who is seriously engaged in growing potatoes in his backyard wants to maximize the amount of harvest he harvests during the season. Average harvest rates usually do not exceed 20 tons, but in fact, this figure can be much higher. How to make the yield of potatoes from 1 ha large, and what methods can help the summer resident in this serious and difficult matter.
Growing profitability
Our Country, according to experts, is one of the traditional leaders in the gross production of potatoes; it accounts for 11% of the world harvest. If we talk about the profitability of growing everyone’s favorite root crop, then it is worth noting that, subject to investing in it, for example, 80000 rubles, you can count on getting a crop of about 20 tons per 1 hectare. For comparison, it is realistic to get about 8 tons of wheat from the same usable land area, and in this case, the profit of the garden owner can be up to 65 thousand rubles. If you also apply modern technologies and equipment for potato care, then the yield of the root crop can be up to 80 tons, so in monetary terms you will receive an income of up to 800 thousand rubles.
The experts made the necessary calculations and announced what exactly needs to be done in order to get 100 – 240% profitable potatoes from their own land. His business plan must necessarily provide for the size of the field for planting vegetables – about 250 hectares, and financial investments can be about 7 million. In addition, working capital will be required, the amount of which will be approximately up to 1 million. business in Our Country was about 40 – 60%, which indicates that its cultivation is profitable and necessary.
Thus, according to experts, the potato growing project can justify itself and pay off in about 5-7 years. But it is worth considering the fact that during the entire period of activity it will be necessary to make regular serious investments in your own business. If once Soviet technology was acceptable for such purposes, today it is morally obsolete, moreover, it does not have such capacities and potential as the modern one. For example, you will have to purchase a harvester that costs about 300 thousand euros, as well as a planter – its cost can be up to 80 thousand, and so on. This is true provided that you are going to grow potatoes on an industrial scale. As for individual household plots, today there are somewhat different schemes for them, involving a not so high level of investment and lower profitability.
Business plan for a home lot
The technology of growing everyone’s favorite root crop on their own personal plot has a number of features. To begin with, it is necessary to think carefully about all the costs that cannot be avoided. After that, taking into account the average indicator of the future harvest of the root crop and wholesale prices for it, it is possible to calculate the approximate future profit. If we talk about expenses, then you will need – a walk-behind tractor (cultivator, plow, hiller, potato digger), the price of which will be up to $ 700, planting material – you will have to spend about 600 on it, various fertilizers – up to 150, transport – the cost of it can make up to $50. The total amount for this calculation is $1500.
If we take into account the average yield of 200 kg from one hundred square meters of your personal plot, as well as the wholesale prices for the purchase of this vegetable in the amount of about $ 0 per 2 kg (data for the last year), then in the first year of starting your own business, income can amount to about 1 thousand dollars. Since the equipment that you purchase for growing potatoes and caring for them will be able to serve faithfully for many years, we can safely say that every next year it will be possible to get more profitable and profitable potatoes. And the price of this beloved root crop, as practical experience shows, is growing from year to year.
Video “Maximum potato harvest”
How to increase productivity
All, without exception, both experienced and beginner gardeners, are concerned about an important question – how to make the yield of this vegetable crop as large as possible? There are a number of factors that directly affect the amount of potato harvest that can be harvested on your own personal plot from an area of 1 hectare. This is not only high-quality seed potatoes for planting, but also preliminary competent preparation of planting material, mandatory compliance with all the rules of vegetable planting technology, weather conditions and the region where plants are grown, ensuring regular and high-quality watering of the soil, its normal condition, applying the necessary fertilizers, and fighting with pests and diseases that can adversely affect the growth and development of potatoes, as well as the correct measures for caring for the root crop.
To begin with, you should choose a potato variety that is best adapted to growing in your area. The State Register of Vegetable Crops is always ready to help beginner gardeners with this, in which you can find detailed information about the features of growing each of the varieties. The degree of yield can decrease if you plant potatoes in the same place every year. Also, experts recommend changing planting material every three years, that is, alternating excellent varieties. If we talk about the condition of the soil, then for normal growth, potatoes need land with a structure that would allow for good air circulation, as well as getting the right amount of moisture. Thus, sandy and sandy loamy soil is best suited for growing everyone’s favorite root crop. Saline and clay soils are not recommended for planting.
Before planting, it is imperative to loosen the earth so that during the growing season the tubers can receive moisture and air in sufficient quantities. Alfalfa, legumes and other fodder crops have proven themselves as green manure for soil fertilization. It has a good effect on the future high yield of potatoes and the introduction of dressings for plowing. For this, it is customary to use compost, bird droppings, rotted manure, as well as potassium-phosphorus complexes. Early root varieties are in great need of fertilizer with a high magnesium content.
The technology for the production and cultivation of potatoes using modern methods and technologies has already increased the efficiency of the industry. Soon, industrial methods of growing this important vegetable crop will be widely used. What will be included in this concept? Calculations and financial investments will be justified if you plan in advance the volume of production. All quality indicators can be calculated in advance, as well as set long before planting a vegetable crop on the site. Harvest can be obtained according to the plan planned by the owner of the garden.
Among the methods that exist today that make it possible to increase the yield of potatoes from 1 hectare at times, the Gülich method can be called. Its principle is that the land should be divided into parts, the size of which will be meter by meter. In each of these localized squares, a large tuber is planted, then humus is introduced.
In the center of each bush, from the time when the first shoots appear, it will be necessary to pour loose earth. This helps to ensure that the shoots begin to grow at a certain angle. This procedure should be repeated until the bush is overgrown in several layers. If proper watering is carried out at the same time, then it is realistic to harvest up to 16 kg from one plant.
There is also the Mitler method, which consists in planting potatoes in beds with a width of about 0 m, while the distance between them should be about a meter. Such beds need to be fenced off using rollers from the ground. Vegetable crops will need to be watered constantly, as well as fertilizing about three times. Hilling when using this method is not required. This method makes it possible to reduce the useful area used for planting crops, as well as increase the yield up to 5 tons per hectare.
If you use the well-established Dutch technology, then from one bush you can eventually collect up to two kilograms of tubers. Its essence lies in the fact that the planting material must be pickled and have up to 5 cm in diameter. The tubers should be planted in special ridges, the height of which should be about 25 cm, and the row spacing should be about 65 cm. Watering is carried out about three times during the season, and it is also necessary to loosen the soil. All tops must be removed somewhere 10 days before harvest.
Video “Good harvest at minimal cost”
In the video you will learn how to achieve the highest quality and largest harvest with minimal financial and effort.
