Popular

Article

Popular Kheti
Volume -3, Issue-1 (January-March), 2015
Available online at www.popularkheti.info
2015 popularkheti.info
ISSN: 2321-0001

Ways to Combat Disorders of Potato

Arti Verma
Department of Vegetable Science and Floriculture, CSKHPKV, Palampur, (H.P) 176062
Email: verma.arti104@gmail.com

Potato is the fourth major food crops after rice, wheat and maize in the world. Potato
is used either alone as a vegetable or in combination with other vegetables and is
considered as a staple vegetable. A number of factors are responsible for low
productivity; disorders among them are most important ones. Plants that are growing
in less than
an ideal conditions are prone to physiological disorders that appear in
different forms in the tubers.
Introduction
Potato is an important cash crop of India and is grown under wide range of climatic
cl
conditions. In India, potato is cultivated over 1835
thousand ha area with production of 36677 thousand
MT (27% of total production). Major potato
producing states in India aree Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,
Punjab, Haryana and West Bengal.
Bengal The national
average
age yield of potato is 19.9 MT/ha. Several
physiological disorders have been noticed in potato.
These disorders cause huge loss in production and
productivity. Grower decisions and management
practices can be utilized to reduce the incidence of
these disorders. Therefore, it becomes necessary to
rectify the causes of these disorders by adopting timely management practices. The most
important and destructive physiological disorders
disorder of potato and their management
m
are
described below:
1. Hollow heart
This is very common disorder of potato. Hollow heart consists of cavities in the tubers, which
are lined with brown, necrotic tissues. Tubers become over-sized
over sized and remain empty which
leads to the formation of cavity in the centre with the death of the small area
are of pith cells.
This condition appears often in varieties which bulk rapidly and produce over-sized
over
tubers.
Causes
Rapid growth and development of tubers followed by sudden rains or irrigation.
Excessive use of nitrogen and water application increases the
the incidence of hollow heart.
Wide plant spacing promotes bigger tubers and tends to favour hollow heart.
Management
Follow closer spacing.
Avoid excessive application of fertilizers particularly nitrogen.
Apply irrigation at short interval so that the soil temperature may not exceed 32o C during
tuber development and maturity.

Popular Kheti

ISSN: 2321-0001

73

Arti Verma,, 2015, Pop. Kheti,

Kheti 3(1): 73-76

Popular
Article

High potassium levels can reduce hollow heart.

Select varieties that are less susceptible.
2. Black heart
In this disorders central tissues of the affected tubers
show dark grey or black
ck discoloration. The
discoloration occurs in an irregular pattern, usually
with a distinct line between healthy and affected
tissues. The symptoms are internal and it can be seen
only after cutting the potato. Seed tubers with black
heart should not be used
ed as they are more susceptible
to soft rot and have poor emergence problems.
Causes
Black heart occurs in conditions of restricted airflow and high respiration, especially when
potatoes are stored in piles as air does not get into the centre.
High soil temperature and water logged soils contribute to black heart development in the
field.
Management
Provide proper ventilation in storage.
Avoid raising temperature above 32o C during transit and storage by avoid piling and
stacking too high and keep potato tubers in layers.
Avoid poorly drained soils and excessive irrigation, to prevent flooding and oxygen
reduction.
3. Greening
Exposure of tubers to bright sunlight or longer
periods of low light intensity results in
greening of potatoes due to the formation of
chlorophyll pigment. Such tubers contain a few
glycoalkaloids like solanine and chaconine
which are considered poisonous. Though
consumption of such potatoes is not likely to
cause serious health hazard yet such potatoes
taste bitter and may cause temporary
tempo
digestive
discomfort. Peeling off green skin with layer of
the flesh removes most of the solanine content.
Causes
Exposure of tubers to sunlight.
If harvested potatoes are stored in the home under low levels of light.
Excessive application of fertilizers
fertili
may also contribute to this disorder.
Mechanical injury may also leads to solanine production.
Management
Proper earthing up as the tuberization takes place. Two earthings are sufficient to keep the
potato tubers free from greening.
Store tubers in darkness
rkness after digging up. If the home storage area is not completely dark,
provide darkness by storing in paper bags to allow air movement.

Popular Kheti

ISSN: 2321-0001

74

Arti Verma,, 2015, Pop. Kheti,

Kheti 3(1): 73-76

Popular
Article

4. Freezing injury
Freezing injury is characterized by discoloration of the tissues and affects the vascular
vascu tissues
at the ring called ring necrosis. More severe injury leads to blue-black
blue black necrotic network in the
pith. If the tubers are frozen for about 4-5
4 5 hr they show no blotch or discoloration but on
thawing the whole tuber becomes wet and soft and liquid oozes out of it. Tubers show more
damage towards proximal end.
Causes
This disorder occurs due to the exposure of tubers to freezing temperature during or after
harvest. It takes place at -1.5o C or below temperature and results in ice formation in
potato tubers.
Management
Avoid exposure of tubers to freezing temperature during storage or harvest.
Adjust the date of sowing so that it does not coincide with low temperature.
Lift potatoes before there is risk of frost or use frost tolerant varieties if available.
avai
Avoid storing field-frosted
frosted tubers or using them for seed purpose.
5. Growth cracks
Growth cracks are the splitting of the potatoes during
growth that leaves deep fissures in the vegetables. The
splits usually run lengthwise and affecting the overall
quality of potato. Tubers with external growth cracks
are usually unacceptable for fresh market. Incidence
of growth cracks is greater in case of wider plant
spacing or if fewer tubers are set per hill.
Causes
Irregular water supply is often responsible for growth cracks. A heavy rain or irrigation
followed by dry spell causes rapid increase in growth activity and water uptake.
Chances of cracking increases when potato plants are abruptly provided with optimal
growing conditions after a period of poor growth
gro
conditions.
Deficiency of Boron also contributes to cracking.
Management
Maintain proper soil moisture during season especially during bulking stage when the
plants are large and tubers are rapidly expanding.
Apply Borax @ 20kg/ha.
6. Internal brown spot
This disorder is characterized by numerous, irregular,
dry reddish brown or rust coloured spots beneath the
tuber skin, with few or no out ward signs. The spots
can be anywhere but most commonly found inside the
vascular ring and towards apical end. Spots
Spot consist of
group of dead suberised cells that are free of fungi and
bacteria. There is no external symptom but the tubers
lose their value as table potatoes.
Causes
Appears particularly in light sandy soils which are
not irrigated regularly.
This disorder
der has been associated with dry weather, high soil temperature and low soil
moisture.
Storage of immature tubers at high temperature have higher incidence.

Popular Kheti

ISSN: 2321-0001

75

Arti Verma, 2015, Pop. Kheti, 3(1): 73-76

Popular
Article

Management
Application of adequate amount of calcium fertilizer after planting.
Maintain proper soil moisture and avoid high soil temperature.
Provide proper storage and growing conditions.
7. Uneven sprouting in the field
This problem is practically faced by the farmers. Adequate crop stand can not be maintained.
Causes
Planting of tubers just after removal from cold storage.
Soil moisture deficiency in the field at planting and sprouting.
Loss of apical dormancy due to cutting of tubers in small pieces.
Management
Use tubers for planting after breaking the dormancy.
Treat the tuber pieces with Dithane M-45 @ 0.25% for 10 min.
Maintain proper moisture in the field at planting and sprouting.
Place the tubers for 15 days at room temperature in 30 cm thick layers to induce sprouting
and select those tubers having green, thick and multiple sprouts for planting.
Conclusion
In conclusion, to manage the disorders effectively in potato, irrigation should be uniform and
soil moisture maintained at constant and even levels based on crop use, stage of growth, and
requirements. Excessive nutrient, especially nitrogen, applications should be avoided during
the main part of the growing season. A good plant stand, proper fertilization and timely
topkilling help to control these disorders.

Popular Kheti

ISSN: 2321-0001

76