apical rooted cuttings for seed potato production

KENYA ACCELERATED VALUE CHAIN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (AVCD) ROOT CROPS COMPONENT APICAL ROOTED CUTTINGS FOR SEED POTATO PRODUCTION Planting and managing rooted potato cuttings Rooted cuttings have the potential to transform potato seed systems. The rapid and high rate of multiplication will significantly contribute to reducing seed potato shortages. Each cutting produces 7 to 10 tubers, and up to 15+, which are multiplied a further season or two then the harvest is sold as seed. This is very high-quality seed, equivalent to basic or certified seed in seed certification systems. This means that the seed that farmers buy is extremely high quality and will produce high yielding crops, encouraging seed multipliers and farmers to keep coming back to buy more. An apical rooted cutting is similar to a nursery -grown seedling (Fig. 1). Cuttings are produced from tissue culture plants in a screenhouse, and are clean and free of disease. Cuttings are planted in the field in slightly raised beds to produce high numbers of seed tubers. Watering cuttings until they are established is essential. Starting with 500 (10m x 5m) to 1,000 (10m x 10m) cuttings is recommended. This area can be watered with a watering can. Land preparation Cuttings are extremely high quality material coming from the screenhouse. Select a site where potato, tomato, eggplant, peppers or nightshade have not been planted for at least 6 seasons. Prepare land by marking the beds. Each bed is 50 cm wide with 50 cm between beds. Dig the soil 20-30 cm under the soil line and make a raised bed 3-5 cm height (Fig 2 & 3). Fig.1 Fig.2 avcdkenya.net PLANTING HILLING

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Page 1: APICAL ROOTED CUTTINGS FOR SEED POTATO PRODUCTION

KENYAACCELERATEDVALUECHAINDEVELOPMENTPROGRAM(AVCD)

ROOTCROPSCOMPONENTAPICALROOTEDCUTTINGSFORSEEDPOTATOPRODUCTION

PlantingandmanagingrootedpotatocuttingsRootedcuttingshavethepotentialtotransformpotatoseedsystems.Therapidandhighrateofmultiplicationwillsignificantlycontributetoreducingseedpotatoshortages.Eachcuttingproduces7to10tubers,andupto15+,which are multiplied a further season or two then the harvest is sold as seed. This is very high-quality seed,equivalent tobasicor certified seed in seedcertification systems.Thismeans that the seed that farmersbuy isextremely high quality andwill produce high yielding crops, encouraging seedmultipliers and farmers to keepcomingbacktobuymore.Anapicalrootedcuttingissimilartoanursery-grownseedling(Fig.1).Cuttingsareproducedfromtissuecultureplantsinascreenhouse,andarecleanandfreeofdisease.Cuttingsareplantedinthefieldinslightlyraisedbedstoproducehighnumbersofseedtubers.Wateringcuttingsuntiltheyareestablishedisessential.Startingwith500(10mx5m)to1,000(10mx10m)cuttingsisrecommended.Thisareacanbewateredwithawateringcan.LandpreparationCuttings areextremelyhighqualitymaterial coming from the screenhouse. Select a sitewherepotato, tomato,eggplant,peppersornightshadehavenotbeenplantedforatleast6seasons.Preparelandbymarkingthebeds.Eachbedis50cmwidewith50cmbetweenbeds.Digthesoil20-30cmunderthesoillineandmakearaisedbed3-5cmheight(Fig2&3).

Fig.1

Fig.2

avcdkenya.net

PLANTINGHILLING

Page 2: APICAL ROOTED CUTTINGS FOR SEED POTATO PRODUCTION

Plantrootedcuttings3rowsperbed:20cmbetweenrowsand25cmbetweenplantsinarow(Fig.3).Planteachcuttingwiththestemline2-3cmbelowthesoilline,thismeanthatpartofthestemwillbeburiedabout3cm(Figs.1and2,redarrows).

CutwormsItisrecommendedtoalwaystreatthesoilforcutwormsattransplanting.Useinsecticidestocontrolcutwormsimmediatelyattransplantingandoneweeklater,orasrequired.Examples:a.i.thiamethoxam(Actara25WG,Medal25WDG, Engeo247SC)anda.i.alpha-cypermethrin(Bestox, TATAALPHA10EC).CuttingsneedwateruntilestablishedKeepcuttingswell-watereduntilwellestablished.Thismeanswateringtwiceadayrightafterplantingreducingtoonceadayuntilthecropisestablished.Yieldlosswillbesignificantifthecropisnotwellwatereduntilwellestablished.HillingWhentheplantis15cmhigh,hilltopartiallycovertheplant,5-10cm(Fig.2).CropManagementCareforthecropasyouwouldyourseedcropprovidinggoodfertilizerandmanagingdiseases(refertoseedpotatomultipliermanual).HarvestAs thecropmatures,checktubersize.Oncethemajorityof tubersareseedsize (eggsize),dehaulmthecropbycuttingdownall abovegroundplantmatter – separating theplant from the tubers.Be sure to removeall plantmatterfromthefield,leavingitlyingaroundcouldbringdiseasetothetubers.Forfollowingseasons,checktubersizeaftertheflowersdropanddehaulmasforseedcrop.Itisimportanttochecktubersizewhenproducingseedaftertheflowersdrop,assomevarietiesthetubersgetverybigveryfast,suchasUnica.RootedpotatocuttingsareeconomicalStartingwith1,000cuttingsatanapproximatecostof15,000KES,aseedmultiplierisprojectedtoproduce7650-kgbagsofseedpotatoaftertwoseasonsofmultiplications(oneyear).Planting1,000cuttingsrequires100m2forthe firstseason, then0.20ha (0.5acres) for thesecondseason.Comparedtominitubers,wherethesame initialarea of 100m2 is projected to produce 59 50-kg bags, profits from cuttings are 40% greater than those whenstartingwithminitubers.

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60 cm