Growing Condition

Since cultural practices are carried out to provide favourable environmental conditions and provide congenial atmosphere for growth and development, the growing conditions determine the extent/nature of the cultural practices to be adopted. Potato requires well drained soil of fine tilth but land preparation may be minimised when following wheat in the spring season in the northern indo gangetic plains while if the crop is raised after rice then it has to be intense.  It is a cool season crop and the growing season can be said to have started when the maximum temperatures fall below 32⁰ C.  Further it requires low night temperatures (<20⁰ C) for tuberisation which occurs about 25-30 days after planting in the autumn season in the northern Indo Gangetic plains.  The crop is of short duration with shallow root system, therefore it is very responsive to fertilizers. It is also highly susceptible to water stress therefore frequent irrigation is required. Irrigation requirement would be high if the season is warm like in the early crop or early in the season in the autumn crop and less under rainfed crop in the hills or in the winter season in the plains.  Since it is a vegetatively propagated crop it is also prone to many pests and diseases which have to be controlled.