How to Select and Store Seed Potatoes

I. Seed Potato Selection

Whether potatoes yield high depends mainly on the seed. The quality of the seed potatoes affects growers' yields and income, so identifying good seed potatoes from bad ones is a key issue.

When examining seed potatoes by appearance, you should not only look at the size of the seed potatoes, but also at their luster. Good luster, fresh, no rot, tubers that feel soft in the hand, that feel crisp and soft when cut with a knife, and when you cut half a cm from the stem end of the tuber and see no ring rot (black ring) - all of this means they can be considered relatively good seed potatoes.

Good seed potatoes have strong disease resistance, good quality and high yield, generally reaching 3500-4000 kg per mu.

II. Storage of Seed Potatoes

They should be placed in a cool, ventilated place. When the temperature reaches minus 3-4°C, the seed potatoes should be covered with something, such as burlap sacks, old clothing, etc. When it reaches minus 6-7°C, they should be placed in a closed room; if stronger cold air arrives, a tarpaulin or plastic film should also be added on top, and once the weather turns warm, the tarpaulin or plastic film should be removed.

The temperature in the room where potatoes are stored should not be too high either, and they must never be placed next to a stove. Seed potatoes are sensitive to heat; even the warmest spot must not exceed 7°C (seed potatoes sprout above 7°C).

If the temperature is too high, many sprouts will grow, consuming the nutrients of the seed potatoes, and later, when planted in the field, this easily leads to reduced yield. In short, when storing seed potatoes in winter, as long as the room temperature does not drop below 0°C without any covering, it is fine. Bao Jinshan