Potatoes: Seed potatoes in short supply? This is how farmers can double the quantity

When there is a shortage of seed potatoes, American farmers have long resorted to a trick. Now German farmers are also adopting it when seed potatoes are scarce.

Planting Potatoes: When there is a shortage of seed potatoes

On his YouTube channel Kartoffel_Maxe, 35-year-old Max shows the tasks he has as a farm manager. He works at a site of the producer group Golden Geest in the Hildesheimer Börde in Lower Saxony and is responsible for 600 to 700 hectares of potatoes. Currently, planting potatoes is on his daily agenda. In his video, he explains what he considers and what to do when the seed potatoes are scarce. Read also: Instead of plows and harrows: farmer with minute soils relies on ridges

How the potatoes need to be treated

When halving the potatoes, hygiene is crucial: the knives used look like saw blades of a circular saw. If a diseased potato tuber is cut, there is a risk that other potatoes, which are also halved with the knife, will become infected. To ensure the necessary hygiene, the knife runs continuously in a disinfectant solution. After halving, the potatoes are powdered with lime. The lime binds moisture and ensures that the tubers dry out and do not rot. The halved, powdered potatoes are then stored in crates. There, they dry, and the cut edges heal. In the crates, the seed potatoes are also transported to avoid any new injuries to the tuber.

Why not every seed potato fits in the planting machine

At his site, the farmer has cup planting machines, among other equipment. They plant the seed potatoes more precisely but require higher standards for the planting potatoes. Unlike with the belt planting machine, he needs uniformly sized seed potatoes. The potatoes should also be as round as possible and not elongated, as the shape can also cause problems. For these reasons, the farmer uses the following classifications at his site: 28 to 35mm, 35 to 45 mm, 45 to 50 mm, 50 to 60 mm, 50 to 60 mm cut.

How many tons of seed potatoes do farmers need per hectare?

The quantities of seed potatoes per hectare depend primarily on the size of the potatoes. If Kartoffel_Maxe uses triplings, about 1.2 tons of seed potatoes per hectare are sufficient. If the seed potatoes are larger, for example, 50 to 60 mm in size and not cut, 3.5 to 4 tons of seed potatoes are needed.

Potatoes: How long does the farmer plant for 600 hectares?

This year, the farmer's team started planting very early. They managed about 600 hectares in 19 days. The limiting factor was the availability of seed potatoes.