1. Climatic Adoptability and Requirement of potato NextEnd

2. PreviousNextEnd Climate plays a very important role in potato production. It is a temperate plant and thrives best in cool regions where there is sufficient moisture and fertile soil. It grows best under long day conditions. In short day and warmer temperature, flowering is restricted and sometimes completely suppressed. Also, vegetative growth is depressed. Climatic Adoptability and Requirement of potato

3. PreviousNextEnd The short day conditions induce earliness and there is usually good tuberization. Intermediate day length, cool temperature and sufficient nitrogen favour maximum tuberization. The mean temperature for optimum growth of potato is 24 O C or lower. Climatic requirements

4. PreviousNextEnd In India, potato can be grown throughout the year in one part or the other. Punjab an early crop of potato can be taken during September-November main crop during October-January and spring crop during September-November, main crop during October-January and spring crop during January-April/May. A similar trend is now emerging in some parts of Haryana and west Uttar Pradesh. In north-eastern hills and southern tropical hills potato is grown throughout the year. In fact, it can grow and give economic returns under any climate, provided the night temperatures during tuberization remain around 20 O C. Season

5. PreviousNextEnd In the high hills, which are covered with snow winter, planting can be commenced only when snow melts and soil is in workable condition. At ootacamund in the nilgiri hills ( Long. 76°- 44’N, Lat. 11° - 24’ N, Alt- 2,249 m), where climate is equable over major part of the year, planting season of the main crop extended from early March to April. The optimum time varied from the year to year depending on the onset of rains but it was mostly around the first fortnight of April. For the autumn crop, the second fortnight of august was the optimum time of planting. Planting time in hills under rainfed conditions

6. Previous Next End Planting time for rainy-season crop in plateau area The planting is dependent on the onset of monsoons. The rainy- season crop in the southern plateau suffers from water stress deficiency in late stages, i.e., with the with drawl of monsoon. Planting time for rainy-season crop in plateau area

7. PreviousNextEnd The winter in the southern plateau is mild and very short. Optimum planting time for the main crop was found to be the second fortnight of November (CPRS, Ann. Rep.,). Planting time for main crop in plains At patna (Long. 85°- 10’ E, Lat. 25°- 37’ N, Alt. 53 m), in the north-eatern plains, the optimum planting time ( for the long duration varieties ‘Phulwa’ and ‘DRR’) was from third week of october to first week of November. Delayed planting have more yields because of optimal temperatures at peak tuberization stage Main crop Planting time for winter crop in plateau area

8. Previous Next End The crop is planted in early September, though the environment is not conducive to high yields. It is also harvested prematurely to capture the high market price around mid- November. Spring crop The spring crop of potato in north-western plains is exposed to very low temperatures at planting in January and very high temperatures towards the end of the season in April. Early crop