adminMunyaradzi Musamba
RECENTLY a group of women produced potatoes successfully in plastic bags. This was reported in the Herald dated November 15, 2013.
THIS is very different from commercial potato production techniques that farmers are familiar with. There are other ways of producing potatoes which are equally innovative. The group of women should be congratulated for their work for producing food.
This form of potato production has its limitations. It will never advance beyond the market gardening stage because of the huge amount of work involved in preparing the rooting medium, which is of course soil. After each crop the bags have to be emptied and the soil will have to be fumigated if it were to be used again. The fumigation process has to be carried out for control of devastating effects of nematodes and other soil borne parasites and diseases. Yes yields are initially very impressive and small households can be sustained on the proceeds.
Economics of production have to be fully understood to appreciate reasons why the method of production has limitations. In any small scale agricultural production systems those producing the product will initially look at the requirements of the household. Only once these have been satisfied will they consider ways of dealing with any surpluses.
Remembering it is the income generated from sale of surplus production, which will indicate enterprise viability. In Zimbabwe the demand for potatoes is high and market garden producers will find ready markets for their produce. Well done to them for capitalising on this opportunity revenue.
Viability must also be measured against the costs of production. This includes a long list of inputs that must be monitored closely. Inputs include cost of seed, fumigants, insecticides, fertilizer, water, wages, transport and many others.
What is viability? This is an extremely difficult question to answer fully in the space and time provided. Essentially it asks the question of sustainability of production in terms of growth and development and the returns on money invested.
For market gardeners these are difficult concepts to come to grips with. Their success is measured by the propensity to consume. Yes I can pay for school fees and I can buy a new TV, or lounge suite.
The process is then repeated for the other items on the wish list of basic wants and needs. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this level of thinking. It presupposes the need for cash to live relatively comfortable lives.
It was suggested that there are other methods of growing potatoes at this level. Old car tyres can be used! Imagine how? It is quite easy in fact. Take the first tyre put it on the ground in a suitable place and fill it with well fertilized rooting medium then place one seed potato in the middle and cover it with soil.
The soil should be kept moist but not wet. When the plant starts to grow which should be less than ten days, it is frequently cultivated to remove unwanted weeds. Once the plant is well established the next tyre is placed over the plant and more rooting medium is added. This rooting medium is added over a period of time as the plant develops. During this early growth period more fertilizer is added and the recommended insecticides are sprayed to ensure a vigorous plant. At all times the plant should be kept moist.
As growth becomes extended the next tyre is placed over the plant, more rooting medium is added and the routine processes continue. Depending on vigour a fourth (4) tyre can be placed over the plant. The height will then be just less than one metre. By this time buds for flowers will be noticed. Once the plant is in full bloom no more tyres should be placed and the routine sprays and irrigation should continue. The plant is now in tuber producing phase.
Each unit can be referred to as a cell. The number of cells would of course depend on the number of tyres available. With bigger tyres, like truck or tractor, more than one seed potato can be planted.
Assuming the plant is fully developed and has grown successfully which should have taken five (5) to eight (8) weeks, tuber development activity is now happening rapidly. The plant will start dying back gradually after about twelve weeks, the process of growth and development has been completed. Irrigation should be discontinued and only once the plant is completely dead then you may proceed to lift off the tyres and assess the harvest.
Harvest time is exciting, potatoes just come rolling out as each tyre is removed. Tubers are unblemished and there is a range in sizes from small potatoes which can be marketed as “new potatoes,” to the large king potato which is used for baking. Yield, this is always dependent on management but market gardeners can expect anything up to and in excess of 20kg per cell. Remember also that potatoes grow better during cold periods and yields will reflect accordingly.
What a novel way of producing potatoes for domestic consumption and sale of surpluses. Get a copy of our potato handbook and improve your knowledge of growing potatoes. You can grow up to three crops a year, not only is this productive but it makes tobacco look like a very poor neighbour. Potatoes have been grown on sand dunes and there is no reason why they should not grow in river sand.
The same procedures can be used but the rooting medium can be river sand this will cut out the necessity for nematode control and the fertility regimes can be as effective as hydroponics, quality will be excellent and yields will be high.
Thermal Agriculture are currently conducting training programs for growing potatoes, this is a must for any potato grower, from the commercial grower to the market gardener. Make sure you attend at least one of these training sessions. Finally, well done to those innovative women who pioneered “Sack-Potatoes.”
- Munyaradzi Musamba is an Agribusiness Consultant at Thermal Agriculture, 41 Old Enterprise Road, Newlands, Harare or 65 Lobengula Street (Between 4th and 5th Avenue), Bulawayo. Our core business is small holder contract farming, agro business development, extension and advisory services. He is reachable on [email protected] or 0714 264 299. Web: www.thermal.co.zw. Facebook: facebook.com/thermalagric. Twitter: twitter.com/thermalagric
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