WHY PRE-SPROUTING ORGANIC POTATOES?

The two main diseases in the biological cultivation are: Rhizoctonia and Phytophtora.
Pre-sprouting has a positive influence, due to the quick start, on both diseases.
It is of great importance in view of Rhizoctonia that the soil has a good structure and is sufficiently warm.
By pre-sprouting your valuable seed-potatoes in presprouting bags, you will keep the seed-potatoes in a good condition.
You can wait until the soil is really good.
By planting pre-sprouting seed-potatoes in a sufficiently warm soil they will be standing quickly above the soil.
The most vulnerable period is then as short as possible.
If the contamination with Phytophtora becomes too high you have to burn the crop.
This is then the final date.
It will be clear that the phytophtora determines the yield and the sorting.
Because of the high paying price for biological potatoes the investment per ha equals a yield of 3-4 tons.
Thus, for many growers the investment is recovered within one or two years.
More demand is arising for late varieties like Agria.
These varieties in general are also more resistant against phytophtora.
It is of extra interest to pre-sprout these varieties.

Joppe