🌱 Potato Farming – Full Information for Profitable Yield in India

Potato is one of the most important and profitable crops in India. If cultivated with proper knowledge and care, farmers can earn a good income from potato farming. This blog provides step-by-step guidance for potato cultivation – right from soil preparation to harvesting and storage.

Let’s learn everything about growing potatoes successfully in India.

1️⃣ Soil Preparation – What Kind of Soil is Best?

✅ Best Soil Type:

• Potato grows well in light, sandy loam soil which is loose and well-drained.
• Soil should be rich in organic matter and have a pH between 5.5 and 6.5.
• Avoid water-logging areas as excess moisture harms potato tubers.

✅ How to Prepare the Field:

1. Do deep ploughing with a soil-turning plough to remove previous crop roots.
2. Follow it with 2-3 rounds of local ploughing or rotavator to make the soil soft and fine.
3. Use a leveler (patta) to make the field flat and ready for sowing.

💡 Tip: During land preparation, add well-rotted farmyard manure or vermicompost to boost soil fertility naturally.

2️⃣ Seed Selection and Treatment

✅ How to Select Seed:

• Always use certified disease-free seeds.
• Choose medium-sized potatoes with 2-3 eyes (sprouting points).
• Avoid using very large or very small potatoes for seed.

✅ How to Treat Seeds:

• Treat seeds with fungicide like Mancozeb (3g per kg of seed) to prevent seed rot.
• Keep seeds in shade for 2-3 days so that sprouts start appearing before planting.

💡 Sprouted seed tubers grow faster and give better yields.

3️⃣ Planting – Right Time and Method

✅ Best Time for Planting:

• North India: October to November
• South India: July to August and again in January to February

✅ Planting Method:

• Maintain 30 cm row to row and 20 cm plant to plant distance.
• Place the seed at a depth of 8-10 cm inside the soil.

💡 Use planting machines or tractor-mounted planters for uniform sowing and saving labour.

💧 4️⃣ Irrigation – How Often and When?

✅ Irrigation Schedule:

1. First irrigation: 5-7 days after sowing.
2. Second irrigation: After 20-25 days of sowing.
3. Third irrigation: During flowering stage.
4. Fourth irrigation: When tubers start forming.
5. Stop irrigation: 10-15 days before harvesting.

✅ Irrigation Methods:

• Use sprinkler or drip irrigation for water efficiency and uniform moisture.

🌿 5️⃣ Fertilizer Management

Potato needs a good amount of nutrients for healthy growth and tuber development.

✅ Fertilizer Requirement (per hectare):

Nutrient	Quantity
Nitrogen (N)	120 kg
Phosphorus (P)	60 kg
Potash (K)	60 kg

✅ Application Method:

• Apply half nitrogen and full phosphorus & potash at the time of planting.
• Apply remaining nitrogen 30-35 days later when plants start growing vigorously.

💡 Along with chemical fertilizers, add compost, neem cake, and bio-fertilizers for long-term soil health.

🐛 6️⃣ Pest and Disease Management

✅ Common Pests:

• Cutworm: Damages roots of plants.
  👉 Spray Chlorpyrifos @ 2 ml per litre of water.
• Whitefly & Aphids: Suck sap from leaves.
  👉 Use Imidacloprid @ 1 ml/litre of water.

✅ Common Diseases:

• Early Blight: Brown spots on lower leaves.
  👉 Spray Mancozeb @ 2.5 g/litre of water.
• Late Blight: Rapid rotting of leaves and tubers.
  👉 Use combination of Metalaxyl + Mancozeb for spraying.

💡 Spray only in evening or morning. Avoid during strong sunlight.

🌾 7️⃣ Weed Control (Unwanted Grass Management)

Weeds compete with crop for nutrients and reduce production.

✅ Weed Control Measures:

• First weeding: 20-25 days after sowing.
• Second weeding: Around 40-45 days.

✅ Chemical Method:

• Use Pendimethalin 1 litre/hectare after sowing but before sprouting.

🧺 8️⃣ Harvesting and Storage

✅ When to Harvest:

• When the plant leaves turn yellow and start drying.
• Choose cool hours (early morning or late evening) for harvesting.

✅ How to Harvest:

• Use spade or light hoe to avoid cutting the tubers.
• Remove the potatoes carefully and clean the soil off.

✅ How to Store:

• Let potatoes dry in shade for 2-3 days before storage.
• Store in cold storage at 4°C for long shelf life.
• For home storage, keep in dark and cool room in open baskets or jute bags.

💰 9️⃣ Cost and Profit Analysis

✅ Estimated Cost per Hectare:

Item	Cost (₹)
Seeds	₹20,000
Fertilizers	₹8,000
Pesticides	₹5,000
Labour	₹12,000
Irrigation	₹5,000
Others	₹5,000
Total Cost	₹55,000

✅ Expected Return:

• Production: 250 to 300 quintals/hectare
• Sale Rate: ₹10/kg
• Gross Income: ₹2,50,000
• Net Profit: ₹1,90,000

💡 Sell to processing units or local markets to get better prices.

🌐 Useful Links

🔗 External (Govt) Resource:
👉 https://agriculture.vikaspedia.in/
This link provides government agriculture portals, schemes, and information for farmers.

🔗 Internal Resource (Our Farming Blog):
👉 https://subsistencefarming.in/
Here, you will find even more in-depth information about farming.

🥔 Top 10 FAQs on Potato Farming

1. What is the best type of soil for potato farming?

✅ Answer:
Sandy loam soil is the best for potato cultivation. The soil should be light, loose, and well-drained. The ideal soil pH should be between 5.5 and 6.5.

2. What is the right time for sowing potatoes?

✅ Answer:

• In North India: From October to November
• In South India: From July to August and again in January to February
  Right sowing time ensures better growth and higher yield.

3. How to select and treat potato seeds?

✅ Answer:
Use only certified, disease-free medium-sized seed potatoes with at least 2-3 eyes (sprout points).
Treat seeds with Mancozeb @ 3 gm per kg of seed and keep in the shade for 2-3 days to allow sprouting.

4. How should potatoes be planted, and what is the proper spacing?

✅ Answer:
Maintain 30 cm row-to-row and 20 cm plant-to-plant distance.
Plant the seed at a depth of 8-10 cm in the soil.

5. How often and when should potatoes be irrigated?

✅ Answer:

• 1st irrigation: 5-7 days after sowing
• 2nd irrigation: 20-25 days after sowing
• 3rd irrigation: During flowering
• 4th irrigation: When tubers are forming
• Stop irrigation: 10-15 days before harvesting
  Drip or sprinkler irrigation is recommended to save water.

6. What fertilizers are required for potato farming?

✅ Answer:
Fertilizer requirement per hectare:

• Nitrogen (N): 120 kg
• Phosphorus (P): 60 kg
• Potash (K): 60 kg
  Apply half of nitrogen and full phosphorus & potash at sowing, and the remaining nitrogen after 30-35 days.

7. What are the major pests and diseases in potato, and how to control them?

✅ Answer:

• Cutworm and whitefly: Use Chlorpyrifos and Imidacloprid sprays.
• Early Blight: Spray Mancozeb @ 2.5 gm/litre
• Late Blight: Spray Metalaxyl + Mancozeb mixture

8. How to control weeds in potato farming?

✅ Answer:

• 1st weeding: 20-25 days after sowing
• 2nd weeding: 40-45 days after sowing
  For chemical control, use Pendimethalin @ 1 litre per hectare after sowing but before sprouting.

9. When to harvest potatoes, and how to store them?

✅ Answer:
Harvest when the plants turn yellow and start drying.
After harvesting, dry potatoes in the shade for 2-3 days, and store in cold storage at 4°C.
For home storage, keep them in cool, dark places in open baskets or sacks.

10. What is the cost and profit in potato farming?

✅ Answer:

• Total cost per hectare: Around ₹55,000
• Expected yield: 250-300 quintals/hectare
• At a selling price of ₹10/kg, income can be ₹2,50,000
  👉 Net profit: Approximately ₹1,90,000

✍️ Conclusion

If done properly, potato farming in India can give high returns. By focusing on seed quality, soil preparation, irrigation, pest control, and proper storage, any farmer can increase both yield and income. Scientific approach and timely care are the key to success in modern agriculture.

“Farming with knowledge is farming with power.”