A Complete Guide to Potato Harvesting and Storage Methods

Potatoes should be harvested at maturity, that is, when most of the stems and leaves have turned yellow, the lower leaves have dried up, the tuber color has changed from light to dark, and the tubers easily separate from the stolons. Harvesting should be done on a sunny day; if it is the rainy season, the field needs to drain for a few days, and harvesting should wait until the soil moisture is such that it does not clump when squeezed in the hand. When digging with a hoe, dig from both sides of the ridge to avoid cutting into the tubers, especially where large tubers have formed. Before harvesting, the vines of the plants can first be cut off. During digging, picking up, transporting and piling, strive to reduce mechanical damage to the tubers. If saving seed potatoes for oneself, separate large tubers from small tubers when picking them up and bag them separately. Pay attention to weather changes during harvest, and never let the tubers be exposed to rain, which causes rotting. Spread the dug tubers in the field first and let them dry for several hours; after the skin dries and the soil separates from the tubers, bag them and transport them away. This allows the wounds on the tuber skin to heal and reduces carried soil and debris.

The reasons for continuous loss of tubers after harvest include: mechanical damage, internal physiological changes in the tubers, attack by saprophytic organisms and pests and diseases, and unsuitable temperature and humidity. Therefore, table potatoes should be stored at a temperature above 10°C and away from light; seed potatoes are best stored at 1-3°C and about 90% relative humidity, away from light. The indoor storage method in Weixin County is to spread the selected and dried tubers on a dry, ventilated floor, wooden floor or bamboo loft at a thickness of 20-50 cm, turning them once a month and swapping the upper and lower positions, lowering the indoor temperature, and removing rotten tubers; the storage effect is relatively good. Gao Juan