In their homeland, in the Andes, potatoes are a perennial plant. But in our climate, already at a temperature of -1 °C, the conversion of starch into sugar begins in the tubers, which causes the taste to deteriorate significantly. On the other hand, it is a pity to dig up unripe, small potatoes, and in winter they are poorly stored due to the unformed skin. To get the maximum harvest before frost, you need to accurately determine when potatoes stop growing.
Signs of stunted growth. Flowering is a turning point in potato development. From the moment shoots appear until flowering, the tops grow much faster than the tubers, then the growth of green mass slows down and gradually stops, and the plant gives most of its strength to potatoes.
The purpose of potato tops is to supply the tubers with photosynthetic products. In yellowed, wilted leaves and stems, photosynthesis is impossible. Hence the logical answer to the question of whether potatoes grow if the tops are dry: of course not, since the tubers have nowhere else to take nutrients from.
Dry leaves and yellowed stems indicate a cessation of potato growth Determining the timing of harvesting
After the tops die, the potatoes in the ground are covered with a thick skin: this is how the plant prepares for winter. If the potatoes are not dug up within two weeks, they may begin to rot.
However, there are no rules without exceptions: the tops of some varieties, especially late ones, are capable of remaining green and strong almost until frost. This often happens on well-fertilized soils. The condition of the shoots is also affected by the weather: heavy rains at the end of the growing season lead to the fact that the already drooping tops come to life again and begin to grow. Because of this, the taste of potatoes deteriorates: actively growing shoots draw off nutrients instead of giving them to the tubers.
If frost is approaching and the tops have not yet dried, it is better to hurry up with harvesting. You should not wait for shoots affected by late blight to completely wither. It’s easier to mow the tops 10–14 days before digging up the potatoes. Removing the green mass will serve as a signal for the cessation of potato growth and hardening of the peel.
Chemicals to speed up the drying of tops
When the shoots dry naturally, the nutrients and moisture they contain are transferred to the tubers. If you mow very fresh tops, the potatoes will not receive enough vitamins and microelements.
Therefore, many vegetable growers use chemicals that cause premature withering of the tops. Such drugs are classified depending on the type of effect on the shoots:
- desiccants - chemical compounds that dehydrate the tops;
- Senication products are desiccants that accelerate the process of natural aging and withering of tops.
The most common methods of desiccation:
- spraying with a 0.5% solution of copper sulfate (50 g per 10 liters of water). The procedure is carried out 2 weeks before harvesting;
- spraying with a 2% solution of magnesium chlorate. To treat one hundred square meters, a solution of 200 g of magnesium chlorate in 10 liters of water is required. The leaves dry out 3–5 days after spraying.
For senication, concentrated solutions of complex fertilizers are used, which act more slowly and more gently than conventional desiccants. Thanks to this, the tubers receive the maximum amount of useful substances from the tops.
Senication can increase potato yields by 10–15%.
The most popular preparation for senication is a concentrated solution of superphosphate. To prepare it you need 2 kg of fertilizer per 10 liters of water. Superphosphate dissolves very slowly, so the suspension is prepared 2-3 hours before use. The fertilizer is poured into a container, filled with water and stirred thoroughly. After 1.5–2 hours, the liquid is poured into another vessel, and the sediment is stirred. Both parts of the suspension are combined only after all granules have completely dissolved.
Acceleration of potato ripening
Typically, vegetable growers are guided by the ripening periods established for various types of varieties:
- up to 65 days – early;
- 65–80 days – mid-early;
- 80–95 days – mid-season;
- 95–110 days – medium late;
- 110 – 120 days – late.
The problem is that these times were calculated under ideal conditions. If potatoes are planted in insufficiently warm soil, they will sprout and ripen much later. In heat above +30 °C, tuber development stops.
In order for potatoes to stop growing by the scheduled date, it is necessary to take into account weather conditions and the nature of the soil. The simplest and most affordable way to speed up the ripening of potatoes is to plant them not just as tubers, but as seedlings.
Seedlings are grown from whole or cut potatoes, even from eyes. The meaning of the method is that you need to plant a ready-made plant that has begun to develop in the ground. If the spring is cool, it is recommended to use film, spunbond, or install small greenhouses over the potato beds.
A variety of growth regulators help speed up the development and ripening of potatoes by at least a week. Typically, such drugs have a complex effect: they strengthen the immunity of plants, protect them from fungal and viral infections.
The most popular growth regulators:
- Poteytin is a low-toxic product that increases productivity by 25%. Used for pre-planting treatment of tubers and spraying during the growing season;
- "Agat-25 K" is a biological product with a fungicidal effect, containing the pseudobacteria Pseudomonas aureofaciens. Used for pre-planting treatment;
- "Novosil" is a product with triterpene acids (based on Siberian fir extract). Used for spraying during the growing season.
I planted potatoes as seedlings, now I’m thinking - when should I plant them at the dacha? You can protect from frost, and covering such a quantity is not a problem.
I know about planting potatoes - when the birch tree is covered with a “green haze”. What other signs? I found a hint on the temperature on the Internet.
The requirements of the potato plant to environmental conditions at different periods of life are not the same. In addition, different plant organs exhibit different reactions to the same factor. For example, a temperature of 12 degrees significantly inhibits plant growth, but it has a beneficial effect on tuber formation.
Potato plants develop better in cool summer conditions. The buds of the eyes awaken at 3-6 degrees. Tubers begin to germinate intensively at soil temperatures of 7-12 degrees, but this process occurs faster at 20 degrees. Potato roots form at temperatures not lower than 7 degrees, so you can start planting them only when the soil at a depth of 10-14 centimeters warms up to 7-8 degrees.
For mass emergence of seedlings, the optimal air temperature is within 15-25 degrees. At very low and very high temperatures, germination rates slow down.
At a temperature of 3-5 degrees, in some potato varieties, growth is so weakened that the buds on the tubers begin to develop without the formation of a root system.
At temperatures below 3-5 and above 31 - 35 degrees, their growth and development are suspended, and the presence of potato tubers for several days at a soil temperature of 1 - 1.5 degrees or 35-40 degrees usually leads to severe damage to the buds and tubers, from which it is already difficult to obtain normal, well-developing plants.
Potato seedlings require cool, moist weather to develop. At this time, tender young plants are equally sensitive to both cold and heat and dry winds.
Potato tops begin to grow at an air temperature of about 5-6 degrees, and their maximum growth occurs in moderately moist soil and 17-22 degrees. At temperatures above 42-45 degrees, tops growth stops, and at 50 degrees the plant withers and may die.
The tops are also sensitive to low temperatures. When there is frost minus 1 - 1.5 degrees, the plants turn black and die. Therefore, when growing early potatoes, the choice of site is of great importance. Thus, in low areas, where cold air stagnates in the morning, seedlings are more often damaged by frost than in higher areas.
The most favorable temperature for potato flowering is 18-21 degrees. Hotter weather causes the flowers and buds to drop. Typically, at a temperature of 27-29 degrees, flowering stops.
The flowers themselves have no economic significance. The presence or absence of flowers on potato plants does not affect its yield. Therefore, there is no point in doing a lot of manual work to remove flowers, which is practiced by some potato growers. (This was confirmed by the experiments of Oleg Telepov, a famous potato grower)
For most potato varieties, the most favorable soil temperature for tuber formation is 15-19 degrees, which corresponds to an air temperature of 21-25 degrees. At soil temperatures below 6 and above 23 degrees, tuber growth decreases sharply, and at 26-29 degrees it stops.
High temperatures combined with long daylight hours cause the transformation of stolons into above-ground shoots and the growth of tubers. On the other hand, heat and drought promote the formation of a large number of stolons and their branching, resulting in an increase in the number of small tubers.
If during the period of formation and growth of tubers there is prolonged hot weather (30-40°C), this causes “ecological” degeneration of potatoes. It consists of metabolic disorders and a sharp decrease in the yield and seed qualities of tubers.
During hot and dry periods, the growth of young tubers stops; apical eyes sprout on them, which form sprouts and secondary tubers at soil temperatures above 20-30 degrees. At temperatures above 29 degrees, such sprouts develop into above-ground stems, and then form their own root system and above-ground mass. This overgrowth of tubers significantly reduces the yield and its quality.
Potatoes are one of the most common vegetables, without which it is difficult to imagine a summer cottage. The ripening time of potatoes depends on many factors. First of all, this is the variety of tubers itself, as well as climatic conditions. If the first factor can be influenced, then you just have to put up with the second. If the summer is cold, then the harvest may be poor.
When planting potatoes, it is important to consider your region of residence. In different areas, the time from planting to harvesting the same variety may vary due to differences in climate.
- Early potatoes, the ripening time of which is approximately 50–61 days after planting the tubers in the soil.
- The early ripening variety ripens 66–85 days from the moment of planting in the ground.
- The mid-season variety will ripen 86–95 days after planting.
- Medium late - from 96 to 115 days, after planting the tubers in the soil.
- The ripening period for late potatoes starts at 115 days.
The growing season may vary up or down. Again, this depends on the weather conditions during the season. It is impossible to influence this.
What determines the rate of tuber ripening?
But even if you choose a variety based on the ripening period of the tubers, after planting you cannot be sure that the harvest can be obtained by a specific date. The growing season is influenced by a large number of factors.
Factors that influence the growth rate:
- In what region is the vegetable grown?
- Planted potatoes will grow earlier if you plant the tubers in early May.
- Weather.
- Application of large amounts of mineral and organic fertilizers.
- The growing season of potatoes is shortened if you plant them in nutrient-poor soil. On fertile soil, growth does not accelerate, and the harvest can be harvested until late autumn.
- Lack of moisture also affects how quickly tubers grow. If the summer was dry and there was little rain, then the potato harvesting period is shortened.
If the growing season has been shortened for the last two reasons, then such potatoes will not be as tasty and will also be poorly stored. Therefore, if possible, it is advisable to regularly water the potatoes (if there is no rain in the summer) and before planting potatoes in open ground, add mineral and organic fertilizers to the ground. When the tubers ripen on time, they turn out tasty and can be stored for more than one month.
How to speed up the ripening of potatoes?
You can try to speed up the ripening of potatoes after the flowering period so that young potatoes do not have to be dug up in late autumn. This will help those summer residents who have delayed planting planting material. You can also try to increase the growth of potatoes if it is a cold and rainy summer.
What to do if the bushes have grown a lot and you can’t delay harvesting?
- The easiest way is to cut off the green tops when the planting material has recently begun to sprout and the bushes have not yet begun to bloom.
- To ensure that potatoes ripen earlier, you can spray the bushes with a solution of copper sulfate 14 days before harvesting. The product draws moisture from the leaves and the maturity of the tubers comes faster. In the same month, the tops begin to become covered with brown spots, curl and dry out.
- You can speed up the ripening of potatoes if you have had a long and cold summer using magnesium chlorate. For 1 liter of water you need to take 25 grams, dilute the chlorate in water and spray the bushes with it. The stages of potato ripening will then be reduced, and after a while it will be possible to dig it up. If the weather is dry, then the potatoes ripen after spraying already on the 6th day.
- To ensure that potatoes ripen earlier than expected, they can be treated with superphosphate. Spray potatoes after flowering. For 1 liter of warm water 25 g of superphosphate. It is better to choose the time for the procedure in the evening.
- Tubers ripen faster if they are germinated before planting in the soil. This is not difficult to do and germination takes little time. Potatoes are germinated in a well-ventilated area. You can put straw or hay on the floor. During the day the temperature should be no more than +15. At night, for complete germination, it needs to be lowered to +7. Potatoes should germinate in 2–4 weeks. After the first roots begin to grow on the tubers, they are watered with a solution of sodium chloride, ammonium nitrate and superphosphate (15:15:55 per 10 liters of water). After two days, the tubers need to be watered. This will promote growth rate when the potatoes are planted in the soil.
- Drying is another way to speed up growth. The potatoes need to be spread out in one layer (it is not necessary to lay them out so that the sun hits the tubers). After a week and a half, eyes should appear on it. Then you can start planting. Plant dried potatoes in the usual way.
After these procedures, the stages of potato growth will be shortened and then you can safely dig up young potatoes without fear of damaging them in the ground. This question is especially relevant for those summer residents whose plot is located in a lowland, where water accumulates or when the ground contains a lot of peat and potatoes grow slowly.
When to dig up potatoes?
As mentioned earlier, potatoes ripen in different ways. By what signs can you determine that it is time to dig up the crop?
The main signs of potato ripening:
- The main sign by which you can determine that potatoes are ripe is dried tops. In early ripening varieties this may begin at the end of July. After all the tops of the grown potatoes have dried, you can begin harvesting.
- The second important point to pay attention to is the weather. It is better to dig up potatoes in dry and sunny weather. As a rule, potatoes ripen by the end of August. Therefore, it is better not to delay until autumn and do it before the rains. If the shade of the vegetative organs of plants (leaves, stems) is green, then you should think about artificially accelerating ripening.
- Ripening also depends on sowing. If the potatoes were planted at the end of May, then they will have to be dug up no earlier than September. This can be determined by the phases of development of the bushes. If the tops are still green in August, it will take several weeks before they dry out.
You can dig up a potato crop at a temperature not lower than +17 degrees. Then, during storage, the potatoes will not turn black and spoil. The most unfavorable time is the morning hours, when frost has already set in. If you dig up potatoes at such a time, they will quickly wither and cannot be eaten.
After harvesting, it is necessary to collect all tops and weeds. If this is not done, then the next year the area may be overgrown with weeds and then it will take a lot of time to remove them from the garden.
When digging up potatoes, you can immediately select the best and largest tubers for further planting. They need to be left in the sun for several days so that solanine begins to accumulate in the potatoes. The peel should take on a greenish tint. Such tubers will be stored longer and will not be spoiled by rodents. And next year you can grow a good harvest from them.
If space allows, then before putting the potatoes in the basement, you need to keep them in the sun for some time. In this way, you can kill all pathogens and also increase shelf life.
Dried potatoes should be scattered into bags, after discarding spoiled and gnawed tubers. It is advisable to store potatoes away from direct sunlight to prevent them from sprouting. The room should be well ventilated, the humidity in the cellar should be high. By following all the rules of planting and storage, you can eat potatoes all year round.
Even without delving into statistics, we can say with 100% confidence that potatoes are a popular product that is grown everywhere, despite the striking difference in conditions - from the damp, cool North-West to the hot steppes of southern Russia. And this is only in the European part of the Russian Federation.
The widespread practice of planting potatoes on the May holidays has only one explanation - combined weekends are the best fit for this. Planting potatoes from the Far East to the Baltic in these 3-4 days is not the best choice: in the southern regions the soil has already lost winter moisture, and in the north it has not yet warmed up.
Soil temperature is the determining factor that is easiest to focus on. The rest - structure, humidity, breathability - are somehow related to temperature.
There are no exact dates for planting potatoes, even for a specific area. The only sure guideline for starting spring field work is the ripening of the soil. It is necessary to choose those few days when the soil has warmed up sufficiently, but has not yet lost its supply of winter moisture.
Experienced summer residents know that the yield and quality of the crop depends on the timing of sowing potatoes. There is a simple explanation for early planting of tubers:
- Early planting gives an early harvest. No one has canceled the growing season, and you can gradually enjoy early young potatoes 40 days after planting.
- Early planting is the best prevention of various viral potato diseases. It has been scientifically proven that viral diseases on garden crops are spread by sucking insects, in particular aphids. By the time of the mass summer of aphids, potato bushes have time to grow stronger and become resistant to many diseases.
- The earlier potatoes are planted, the higher their yield, which is confirmed by statistics.
Dependence of potato yield on planting time (Northwestern Federal District of the Russian Federation)
Note:
Traditionally, summer residents calculate potato yields in buckets.
- 100% means that from 1 bucket of potatoes a harvest of 1 bucket was obtained;
- 600% - 6 buckets of potatoes are obtained from 1 bucket, which is considered the norm for the region.
In other regions, only the timing in the 1st column differs, the trend remains: the maximum yield is observed with early planting.
Potato planting dates - how not to make a mistake
You also cannot rush into early planting of tubers: it is completely pointless to plant potatoes in frozen ground. It is necessary to take into account the main factors that affect the timing and find a middle ground.
The weather is the weakest link in making plans. The forecast for 1-2 weeks before the proposed planting should be monitored. Sometimes you have to completely rebuild carefully constructed plans - no one will plant in the rain and mud.
Weather conditions are a decisive factor in the “ripening” of soil. The soil is “ripe” and ready for planting vegetable crops when the required humidity and temperature are established.
Agronomists are unanimous in the opinion that it makes sense to plant potatoes only when the soil temperature at a depth of 10-12 cm is +7...8°C. Experienced summer residents know that this temperature of the top layer of soil is established when the average daily air temperature does not fall below +8°C. 
Soil temperature and growing potatoes
This lower threshold is like “absolute zero” for tubers - starting from a temperature of +7°C, potato roots begin to sprout and work actively. If the temperature is lower (combined with high humidity), there is a high chance that the potatoes will simply rot. If the bed has not had time to warm up, you can use a life hack.
In extreme cases, sprouted tubers can be planted in cold (3...7°C) soil.
Potato sprouts can withstand temperatures starting from +3°C - slowly, but still develop. The risk is justified if warming is expected in the near future.
It is also undesirable to delay planting tubers. Well-heated and dry soil does not contribute to the rooting of potato sprouts. In the absence of soil moisture, the plant has only the water supply in the tuber to form a bush.
Let us recall that the mass of a standard seed tuber does not exceed 100 g - it contains no more than 50 ml of water. There can be no question of a full-fledged potato harvest without high-quality watering.
Soil structure and warming up times
Within one garden plot, let alone an entire region, the soil map can vary significantly. How quickly the bed warms up and matures for planting potatoes depends on the mechanical composition of the soil.
- Light soils, sandy and sandy loam, quickly warm up and very soon lose their water supply: literally and figuratively, “water goes into the sand.”
- Medium-density soils, light and medium loam, are the most successful option for growing garden crops. The bed warms up quickly and retains a supply of melted winter water for a long time.
- Heavy loam and clay complicate the agricultural technology of growing potatoes, since the soil warms up and ripens slowly. This is not critical, since preparatory operations (cutting combs, etc.) help to cope with the problem.
The presence of clay in the composition makes the soil moisture-absorbing. The silicates that make up clay chemically bind water molecules. The heat capacity of the soil increases - the bed warms up much longer.
In this case, the presence of a significant amount of water is rather a disadvantage: water has the highest heat capacity - it delays the maturation of the soil. Potato planting dates are being pushed back.
Among summer residents, there is an idea of chernozem as a separate type of soil. This is not so: the very concept of “chernozem” speaks only of a significant content of vermicompost, but not of the main component of the soil - sand or clay. In the same way, sandy loam chernozem and nutritious loam are found. 
How to determine that the soil has warmed up for planting potatoes
It would be good for open ground beds to calculate suitable planting dates from temperature measurements, as is practiced when growing vegetable crops in greenhouses. Using a thermometer in the garden does not give an accurate picture - the soil warms up differently in different areas.
How can we determine that, on average, the earth has warmed up to +7...8°C at a depth of 10-12 cm? It is impossible to take into account all possible factors - moving day shadow, the angle of inclination of the site in relation to the sun's rays, preliminary preparatory work on the site, uneven soil composition, groundwater occurrence, etc.
Traditionally, summer residents, and not only others, are guided by signs based on centuries-old observations of nature and the phases of plant development.
Traditional methods for determining when to plant potatoes
- buds opening on a birch tree;
- cherry blossom.
In fact, these events occur at intervals of 7-10 days. We can summarize:
- the earliest start of planting corresponds to the opening of birch buds;
- Bird cherry blossom is the latest date for planting potatoes, when it is no longer possible to postpone field work.
Scientific methods for determining timing
City summer residents will not come to the site to trample barefoot on the beds. It’s easier to wait for warmer weather, when the risk of frost has passed, and plant your couple of hundred acres of potatoes.
For planting tubers, the optimal temperature is from +12°C to +15°C, which approximately corresponds to the established daytime temperature of approximately +16...20°C.
You should definitely take into account the composition of the soil and do not delay planting in sandy loam areas. 
How to increase soil temperature
In order to plant potatoes earlier, including in areas with heavy soils that warm up slowly, preparatory work is carried out.
- In the fall, ridges are cut for early planting of tubers. The soil raised above the level of the bed dries out and warms up faster - it is ready for planting 10-14 days earlier.
- Deep plowing of the site shortly before the planned planting allows you to dry the top layer of soil and warm it up, since it is done by turning the layer over.
- Organization of warm beds, when the top fertile layer seems to lie on an air cushion of plant waste.
The local temperature of the bed layer also increases due to the introduction of organic fertilizers, humus or compost.
Each summer resident has his own approach to determining planting dates: one closely follows weather forecasters, the other watches the trees. Despite the differences in methods, the goal is the same: not to miss the optimal time for planting tubers. I was delayed for 2 weeks - the harvest was 1/3 lower.
Potatoes are a plant of moderately cool climates with relatively high air humidity. In the Northern Hemisphere of Eurasia it is grown mainly between 40 and 60° N, in North America - between 40 and 50° N. w. In the Southern Hemisphere, the main growing regions are located in the south of the continent.
Since potatoes of different ripeness groups differ in the length of the growing season (from 60 to 170 days), they can adapt well to different climatic conditions. Despite its sensitivity to frost, it is grown in more northern regions and at higher altitudes than cereals.
Potato tops freeze at temperatures from -1.5 to -1.7 °C, tubers - at soil temperatures from -1 to -2 °C. In the spring, at temperatures below -2 °C, the potato tops die, but when positive temperatures set in, they grow back, however, in these cases, the yield of tubers is sharply reduced due to the slow development of plants.
Potatoes begin to grow when the soil temperature reaches 8 °C, and those planted with sprouted tubers - at 4...6 °C. In the phase of growth and tuber formation, the optimal average daily soil temperature is 17 °C (daytime 20 °C and night - 12...14 °C). The growth and development of potato plants is inhibited if the temperature rises to 29...30 °C. In this case, tubers do not form or become sluggish, their flesh turns black from necrosis caused by heat, and when they germinate, thread-like sprouts appear. The optimal average daily air temperature for potato assimilation is about 20 °C (daytime 25 °C, night 16 °C). At temperatures above 30 °C, potato plants are severely inhibited. The sum of temperatures for the germination of early potato varieties is 1000...1400 °C, for later varieties - 1400...2000 °C.
The moisture requirement of potatoes is average compared to other cultivated plants. The transpiration coefficient (the amount of water required to produce 1 kg of dry weight) is approximately 550 l/kg of dry weight.
To produce 100 c/ha of dry matter (500 c of tubers/ha), approximately 3 thousand tons of water (300...400 mm of precipitation) are required. But the need of potatoes for water at different periods of development is not the same. For its germination, moisture from the mother tuber is sufficient. In this phase, potatoes do not depend on soil moisture and only need heat and oxygen. Therefore, a dry spring with rapid warming of the soil and the possibility of planting potatoes earlier are favorable for it. Before tuberization begins, its moisture requirement is low, but then an adequate water supply is required until the end of flowering. At the end of growth and development, its need for water decreases again. The high moisture content at this time still promotes the growth of tubers, but they are formed with a low dry matter content, have loose skin and the associated low quality and are poorly stored.
Depending on the ripeness group, different potato varieties require maximum moisture at different times. In Central Europe, early potatoes with a short growing season need this from mid-May to the end of June, for mid-early varieties this period is from June to July, and for later varieties - from July, August and the first half of September. Therefore, the risk when growing potatoes, depending on the uneven distribution of precipitation during the growing season and the difference in its amount between years, can be reduced by using varieties of different ripeness groups.
Due to its weak cuticle and low osmotic pressure, potatoes are a hydrophilic plant, i.e. more adapted to humid conditions. It is very sensitive to sudden changes in temperature and humidity. Therefore, in many regions, water supply is the main task for achieving stable and high yields, especially during the period of tuber formation and growth. Potatoes require 5...6 mm of water per day from the soil moisture reserve.
Potatoes tolerate short-term droughts, but during long dry periods (less than 50% of normal field moisture capacity), the yield is greatly reduced. Under such conditions, plants stop growing, tuber phellogen dies and the cork layer becomes hard. With subsequent precipitation, the growth of tubers is not restored, which leads to the regrowth of their tops and the formation of constrictions and children. After a period of optimal water supply, which promotes strong growth of tops, even minor disturbances in the water regime lead to a decrease in yield (Lebedeva V.A., 2010).
Potatoes are not very picky about soil conditions. It grows best and produces a high yield of good quality tubers on sufficiently aerated, loose, crumbling and easily warmed soil, but with appropriate agricultural technology it can be grown on almost any soil. Soil reaction (pH) in the range of 4.5...7.5 is most suitable for growing potatoes if the soil has good buffer capacity.
Loamy soils and sandy loams are especially suitable for growing potatoes. If there is a good supply of moisture (close groundwater or sufficient precipitation), sandy soils are also suitable. On heavier loams and clay soils with poor aeration that warm up slowly in the spring, yields are usually lower. In autumn, when the weather is rainy, such soils make it difficult to harvest tubers with potato harvesters. To improve the structure, these soils require large quantities of organic fertilizers and intensive cultivation. Even on marshy soils, high yields can be obtained through the use of appropriate varieties. However, the danger of late frosts on such soils does not allow early planting. Swampy soils require the use of special agricultural technology.
Based on the above, the following conclusions can be drawn:
Potatoes require, first of all, loose soil, free from weeds, which does not provide strong mechanical resistance to the growth of stolons and tubers, is easily permeable to air and contains a sufficient, but not excessive amount of moisture. To obtain progressively increasing potato yields from year to year, it is necessary that environmental conditions fully comply with the biological requirements of the potato plant. In properly organized crop rotation, using mobile agricultural technology, it is possible to provide all the necessary conditions for obtaining high potato yields.
These conditions are as follows:
Weed control;
Creation of the necessary water-air regime and mineral nutrition;
Ensures harvesting by forming screenable, clod-free ridges.
Thus, in the practice of potato growing, finding methods and working bodies aimed at destroying weeds and creating ridges with a fine-lumpy soil structure is the most important task of potato cultivation (Telepov O.A., 2012).