The cultivation of potatoes should begin as soon after the potatoes are planted as possible, but good cultivation is more easily accomplished by thoroughly preparing the land before planting

Valentine, George H.

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South Dakota State UniversityOpen PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access InstitutionalRepository and Information ExchangeExtension Circulars SDSU Extension4-1923Cultivating the Potato CropGeorge H. ValentineFollow this and additional works at: http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/extension_circPart of the Agriculture CommonsThis Circular is brought to you for free and open access by the SDSU Extension at Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access InstitutionalRepository and Information Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Extension Circulars by an authorized administrator of Open PRAIRIE:Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. For more information, please contact michael.biondo@sdstate.edu.Recommended CitationValentine, George H., "Cultivating the Potato Crop" (1923). Extension Circulars. Paper 131.http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/extension_circ/131., Extension Circular No. -131. South Dakota State Co11 ·c ·= aro. U. S. De partm.ent of Agriculture C oo:perating,., CULTIVATING �THEPOTATO CROP by George H. Valentine Assistant Agronomy Specialist. The cultivc:�tion of pot0,tocs should begin as s_ooh after the potatoE·s are planted as possibl·2, but good culti­vation is more easily accomplis�ed by thoroughly preparing the land before pla�1. ting. There arc a number of �easons for cultivation. The rr.ain functions of cultivation iac:ude the _}{illinp.::: of �-vEeds and the conservation of mois tun�  A. TY:?:CS OF CULT IV.A.TORS : The sbovel type of cultivator is the kind most commonly used. in culti-vating potatoes. T�e:typc v;rith seve:tal (usually six or eight) sr;1all shovels is the best for culti­v2,ting loose mellow soils if only small weecs are present. If large weeds are present. larger z�ovels are more effic­j_s nt in upY.'o oting thcL1. Ths disk cu.ltivator is especially well suited for use in soils of poor physical concii ti ons that are in nGed of pulverizing. The disk culti7ator is also more effective in cultivating land infected v1i th morning-glory or bindw8ed and quack grass. ·�:1hE. weeder is a comparatively rsccnt implement and its devclopr.:ent probably resulted from the use of the spike­tooth t.:arrow on the potato plan ts while qmall. The weeders E1ost, commonly used a:re mountE-d on wheels but with the early cultivation of potatoes a s�ike-tooth barrow is very effect­ive if tee-�h can be made to slant backvv1ard. Such an irn.i:)le­ment can be used until the potato plants are s everal inches high. Cooperative Extension V!ork in Agriculture and Ho.rt.e �Sconor�11.cs-, - -­w. F. Kuri1lien, Director . Distributed in furtheTance of Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. -2 -B .  LEVEL OR R IDGE CULT IVAT ION : 1 1 Two rathe r dis t in c t  cultu:-al nr a c t i c e s ob t a in i n  th e g r ov dng of a p o t a t o c r op , v i z , th e ricge_ me th o d 2s nd th e le ve l - cu l ture me th od .  In th e ridge me th o d  th e s o il a. f t e r  s acl1. cult i va ti on b etYie e n  th e r ow s  i s  r i dge d  up ar ound th e :p lan t s  b y  rr.e ans of a wing or ct i s k :9 ot ato hoe , -Jihich pu she s o r  thr ow s  the· soi l  up around th e plan ts . In th E.  l ev e l - cu lt - . u:r e meth od the a im i s  t o  ke ep the s o i l le vel ,  or n es.r ly s o , Ge ne ra l ly a t  the las t  c u l  ti vat j_ on th e  s id e  shov e l s  ar e se t s o  a s  t o  th r ovr some s o i l t owar d t he p l an t s ,  t o  pro t e c t  the t uber s ne ar the su:�fa c e  fro m su nbur n .  T :::1E- ridg e me th od is pra c t ic e d in Ma ine and c ertain othe r par t s  of Uew E ngland , Ne w· York , P e nn sylvani a  in i::a :rt , the S ou t..h. gene r a l ly ,  and the ir r i ga t ed sec t i ons of the ,;;re st . Leve l cu lt ure is la rge l:/ })r a c <: ic ed in Ohi o ,  I ndiana , Ivfi chig an ,  Wi s co ns in ,  Tuii nr...e so t a , and the :Dako ta s .  Vi i  th th s r i dge sy s t em of c ult ur e , c ult i va­t i on c an b e,  c o nti nue d. s orr..e vL1. a t  la te r in t he s ea s on t han "vv i th l ev e l  cu lt ur e , b e cau se f ew of the r o ot s of the r i d g e d  p lan t s  exte nd b ey ond the r id ge ; he nc e t i llage in t hs  c ent e :i� o f  th e r ow and r id g ing up the l oose s o i l d oe s  n ot inj ur e  th e  r o o t s , a s  in le ve l c u lt ur e ,  whe r e  the y sprsad out t hrough th e a d -j a c e nt s o i l 0 • Fa nne rs. Bull e ti n  #1 1 9 0 . C .  HOW DEEP TO CULTIVAT..8 :  The d ep th of c u lt iva t ing var ie s a c c o rd ing t o  co nd i ­ti ons of s o i l s , cu l t ur al �r a c ti c es and time o f  s e a s on . The f ir s t  c u lt ivati on sh ould b e  a s  d ee p  a s  :9 os s ib le , ca re , o f  co ur se ,  b eing ,take n n ot t o  c aus e t!'le :plan t s , inj ury th r ough r o o t  1Jruning .. The n ext and e a ch f o l l owing c ult i va ti on &11. 01::ld b e  sha l l ow er th an t he pr e c e ding one and _ far tl'1e 1" and f ar th er av-1ay :from the J_J la.n t s . The impl e-1.a ent s hou ld. b e  a d j us t e d  t o  th row s ome dir t t ovrnrd the plan ts , the ob j e c t  b E: i ng  t o  l: e e p  the sur f a c  ·. of the s oil s t i rr e d  or c ov er e d  v1 i th l o o s e  s o i l  in order t o  c ons e rve m o i �tLrr e  and p r eve n t  w e e d  g r owth . D .  HOW OFTEN TO CULT IVATE : The culti vati ng o f  p ot a t os s a.h. ould b e  c arr ie d on of t e n  e n ough t o  maint a in a dus t mul ch and t o  k e e p  cl. ovv-n th e we e d s .  This time vari e s la rg e ly o::f course v1i t h  vveather c o n ­d i t i on s .. In c e r ta in ty pe s of s o i l s  de e pe r  and rno re f r e quen t  cu lt iva ti. o:n s ar e rflOr e n ec e s s ary i n  or d er t o  pr _o :perly areate tl1.e s oil . In li ght s o i l s  t he ae rat i on ·of the s o il i s  n ot a proble m .  -3 -The r o o t s  of the pot a to  plan t s  s1J read out tL.r ough the s o il be twe en  the  r ows i me.king cu l t :i.va:,i on a _._..,ar U. cul.a :r und e ::-t aking on a c c o·:Jnt of the almc s t  c .e rta .i:°J. heavy :rn c � pruning whicb  w ill  :r e s v.lt from c2_r e le ss  (;lJ. 1t ivaL i. on :. 2 uch T o ot  })runing has  b e en r e sp onsi ble f,:i r ma 1y a :90  ... r y j_ 2 J .d . •  A singl e cu J.t ivat i on whe n the s o i ]  is f j_ l1ed  wi th r o ct s  may ., in the abs enc e of a rain s o  on a :: t e r- a c u lt i va � i.. on ::, reduc e the yi e ld fu lly one -�-m lf . The a im sr .... ould b e  -t o  g ive a s th o r o ugh t i 1 1  age as  po s s i b 1 e in th e e 3, r 1 y 1 eve J o f,[C:t: n t o f the c ro p :.- s o  a s  t o  a f for d T ... . .  e :1102 t fa, .... or :io1e co ::. .. d i. t .i. on s f ar the c omple ti on of the g r c.7. th of  ;1. a nt s  and. t ube::i.' s . A s  a rule cu ltivati on sh ouio_ c e2. s e  so on a:::.:  ... ter the tubers  h2. v e  s e t . - - - - - - - a O o - - - � - - -F:EFERE:NC3S : 1 :H ovv to G ::' OV: an A c re  of P ot.a t oe s ' j , ?c1rn-i.e r s  :B ulle tin #119 0 , U .  S . D e  pa. rtme �'lt of Af;ri cultur e .  

Cultivating the Potato Crop

https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1130&amp;context=extension_circ

Cultivating the Potato Crop

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