Potato rot: the reason how to fight
Potato rot can be of several types. Various factors cause its development. It is in your power to prevent its appearance and preserve the resulting crop.
Potato rot can affect the entire crop if not properly stored. However, the whole process can start with planting already infected tubers.
To prevent potatoes from rotting, store them in boxes or bags
There are several types of rot:
- dry;
- wet;
- annular;
- phomaous.
Dry and wet rot affects potatoes most often.
Wet rot on potatoes is caused by saprophytic bacteria. Potatoes have an unpleasant odor, become soft to the touch, and a starchy liquid appears when pressed. Appears in case of improper storage: elevated temperature, self-heating and sweating of tubers. Potatoes that have been stored at temperatures close to zero for some time are also susceptible to disease.
Dry rot, or fusarium, is a fungal disease. After a while, the potatoes dry out completely. The disease phytophytosis leads to the appearance of rot. It can appear and develop during planting when spores penetrate through mechanical damage.
The appearance of all types of rot is also caused by damage to tubers during harvesting, rough transportation and improper storage of potatoes.
Phoma rot occurs during the growing season if there was a very low temperature and increased rainfall. The rind may remain intact, but the inside of the tuber rots completely.
Ring rot is caused by bacteria during tuber formation or harvesting. Infected potatoes rots partially or completely, turning into a viscous mass.
How to deal with different types of potato rot
To prevent dry rot development, select only healthy tubers for planting. Treat the soil with a fungicide before planting. Also, reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizer. During budding, spray the bushes with Bordeaux liquid.
When harvesting, use special shovels that do not cause damage. Transport tubers carefully. Store only clean and healthy potatoes, which have been well dried beforehand.
To prevent further development of any type of rot, do the following:
- sort through all the potatoes and remove the damaged ones;
- lower the room temperature and store potatoes at + 2 ° C;
- provide the vegetable with adequate ventilation;
- Do not stack potatoes in a bunch, but use drawers or vegetable bags for storage.
When sorting, also set aside tubers that were next to the damaged ones.
Try to take all measures to prevent crop rot. This will save your strength, as well as the potatoes themselves after harvest.