In our country, potatoes are considered the second bread. It is not surprising that almost every gardener plants this crop. Potato is an unpretentious crop, and following some tips, you can significantly increase its yield. Nowadays, growing potatoes using Dutch technology is becoming popular among farmers and ordinary gardeners. It used to be that it was impossible to use this method without special equipment, but having studied all the nuances in detail, we can conclude that the method is also suitable for growing crops in the country.
Technology
When using the Dutch technology, potatoes are not planted as early as possible, but when the soil “ripens”. It should not be too wet and not too dry. A lump of soil must be thrown on the ground, if it crumbles, you can start planting. Thus, the plant will be able to maximize the surface of the leaves, and the tubers will grow faster. Already in the fall, it is necessary to start preparing the soil – plow to a depth of 22-27 cm. In the spring, 12-14 cm of the top layer of soil must be processed with a cutter or a cultivator cutter. Thus, the soil capillaries formed since autumn are preserved. Moisture will flow to the tuber through these capillaries. Also, processing with a cutter will speed up the process of ripening potatoes by 7-10 days. It is necessary to plant seeds in areas with a high agricultural background.
It is important to choose high quality seed potatoes. Tubers should be 3 to 5 cm in diameter, with 0,5% germination. One of the nuances of the Dutch technology is the planting of already germinated potatoes. It is important that the length of the sprouts should not exceed XNUMX cm. Otherwise, they will break off, which will reduce the germination of the plant.
When growing potatoes using Dutch technology, there is a special planting scheme. In order for the plants not to grow too densely, you can not plant more than 30 stems per 1 sq. meter. It also does not make sense to close up the planting material deep, just 4 cm deep is enough. But immediately after the appearance of the first shoots, hilling of the bushes is carried out. In the process of hilling, 25-centimeter ridges are formed. After that, inter-row tillage is no longer carried out. The row spacing is 75 cm. Sometimes up to 120 cm is left between pairs of rows for better passage of agricultural machinery and watering plants. Often, saving land, they make row spacings of 40-50 cm. In such conditions, it is difficult to carry out hilling of tubers. The plant will grow and develop poorly. Potatoes may become bare and green.
Already on the 14th-18th day after planting, when the first sprouts appear, the first weeding should be carried out. Of course, the ideal option would be to remove 100% of the weeds. It is difficult to do this manually, especially with large landing areas. In this case, milling cultivators with a ridge former are used. With such a machine, processing is carried out very quickly, only well-loosened soil and ridges remain. With an excess of moisture, water will drain into the furrows and not harm the root system. Obviously, weeds will continue to grow anyway, so you need to treat the soil with special herbicides. It is also necessary to anticipate the development of such a disease as phytophthora. For this purpose, 5-6 treatments with chemicals are carried out. Many varieties do not have drought resistance, so at least 3 waterings per season should be carried out: the first – before flowering, the second – 10 days after the flowers wither, and the third after about 20 days.
If your goal is to get planting material, then you need to harvest in early August. For commercial purposes – at the end of the month. It is important that you first need to collect the tops. After that, after 10-12 days, you can choose the potatoes themselves. Thus, the peel will become stronger, and the potatoes will be easier to transport and store.
Advantages
The main advantages of growing potatoes using the Dutch method are high yields. If you follow all the advice, then up to 30-40 tons of potatoes per hectare of land can be harvested per season. The main point is the quality of the planting material. The Dutch plant only high quality certified planting material, free from viral or other diseases. Also a feature of this method is the treatment of seeds from aphids – the main carrier of viruses. For this purpose, various chemicals are used. This technology reduces the mechanical impact on potatoes. Domestic farmers usually remove diseased plants when clearing rows.
The method is based on the rapid growth and development of plants. Thanks to this, the tubers are harvested early enough, even before they are infected with late blight or other diseases. This feature is commercially beneficial, since early tubers can be sold for much more. And to increase the safety, the removal of the tops is provided, after which the potatoes are in the soil for another 10-12 days. Using this method, a strong peel is formed, which reduces mechanical damage to the tubers.
The method of growing potatoes according to the Dutch technology has its advantages. First, the wide aisles. This is the main condition for drip irrigation. Irrigation covers many more plants, increasing efficiency without increasing costs. Row spacing of 120 cm makes it easy to move the equipment necessary for processing plants. Thus, it is possible to automate the growing process and it will be convenient to harvest. Also, all the bushes are planted on the ridges, so that the plants receive 70% more oxygen. With this method of planting, growth and development is accelerated, and the development of many diseases, especially rot, is prevented.
What varieties to choose
It was previously mentioned that the quality of planting material is very important when growing potatoes with the Dutch method. It is best to use varieties of European, especially Dutch, selection. Consider the main types:
- Condor. This variety is highly resistant to drought and many diseases. Its main advantage is high productivity. In order for the potatoes to double in 2-3 weeks, you need to provide abundant watering. If you do top dressing of plants, then you can easily collect up to 40-50 tons per hectare.
- Agria. This Dutch variety has the same yield as the previous one, and this is subject to normal care, without the use of growth stimulants or other top dressings. Farmers note that up to a thousand or more tubers weighing an average of 250 g are formed per hundred square meters. The main disadvantage when growing this variety is that at temperatures above 25 degrees and humidity less than 85%, the yield may fall. In such conditions, mandatory watering and the introduction of ammonium nitrate are necessary.
- Ariel. This variety is very unpretentious in care and is not used for industrial purposes. The average yield is 200-300 q/ha. It will be difficult to achieve the best results.
- Romano. A high-yielding Dutch variety with a maximum yield of up to 80 tons per hectare, but in domestic conditions it was possible to harvest only up to 50 tons. The ripening period of potatoes is 90-110 days.
- Eba. One of the most popular varieties, known in our area for over 12 years. The fruits are very easy to preserve, as the peel is quite thick, easily tolerates transportation and is resistant to mechanical damage. The potatoes themselves are very tasty and boil quickly. On average, up to 200-400 kg can be collected from a hundred square meters with periodic watering. It is important that the tubers do not rot and are not susceptible to pests (except for the Colorado potato beetle). Plants tolerate drought quite well.
Also noted are such early varieties as Jarla, Cleopatra and Prior. Frisia and Mona Lisa varieties have a fairly high immunity to viruses. For long-term storage, Asterix is perfect.
The above varieties are bred mainly in Holland and are the most popular. The yield is about 200 q/ha. If you want to plant more productive hybrids, do not forget that they are not suitable for seed, but are used only in the first year of cultivation.
Potatoes are a fairly unpretentious crop, but if you grow them correctly and, most importantly, choose a good variety, then the chances of a high yield, even in your country house, increase significantly.
Video “Dutch technology for growing potatoes”
The video tells about the methods of growing potatoes in Holland and the introduction of these methods in the Lipetsk region.
