smart-farming-solutions

  SMART FARMING SOLUTIONS…Successful with consultants.. LESSON 5.11 POTATOES - SUBSURFACE DRIP IRRIGATION for better yield   A World of Potential With tens of millions of hectares under cultivation around the globe, the potato is one of the world’s largest and most important crops.   But not all production is equal nor effective . SUBSURFACE DRIP IRRIGATION is a key lever to improving. •       10 -15 tons per ha is the Basic Production.                                                                                  •       20 tons per ha        is the World Average.                                                                                            40+ tons per ha     is Advanced Production   The world average is 20 tons per ha, the average production in Germany with SUBSURFACE DRIP IRRIGATION is around 42.7 tons per ha, and in New Zealand the average yield is also with SDI 50 tons per ha. As such, for much of the world, there is Opportunity for signific

  SMART FARMING S uccessful with consultant. LESSON 5.12 POTATOES - MEET THE MARKET REQUIREMENTS      Growing Potatoes to Meet Market Requirements SUBSURFACE DRIP IRRIGATION is the future   For most regions, there is no such thing as just growing “general potatoes”. From the onset, a growing program needs to be developed for the potatoes to meet the strict market requirements for their final use. Market guidelines for potato quality in export are becoming stricter, resulting in reduced profit and sometimes complete rejection of crops that do not meet the market specifications. In this lesson, we share how SUBSURFACE DRIP IRRIGATION can help you grow the right potatoes for each market need. For successful SMART FARMING see more than 70 lessons about SUBSURFACE DRIP IRRIGATION . You find them on my timeline under FAIREC Atlas Developement S.A.R.L.   We supply this in East Africa. Please send us your request when you will double your yield to 3, 4, 5 $ per m² and

  SMART FARMING    S uccessful with consultant. LESSON 5.13 POTATOES – NOT TOO MUCH WATER       Too Much Water Leading to Saturation Periods   ·          Saturation of the soil profile for more than 8 –12 hours can cause root damage. ·          Over watering causes a higher rate of brown blight, hollow heart, tuber splitting, and general    reduction of tuber quality. ·          Nitrogen can leach below the plant’s shallow root zone.   Too Little Water Leading to Water Stress   Water deficits reduce the plant’s growth by reducing the water pressure in the plant’s cells that are necessary for expansion which then correlates directly to reduced / stunted tuber expansion. Too Much Variation ·          During water deficit, tuber expansion reduces or even stops. Once water is returned and the plant is not in stress, tuber expansion will resume; however, tuber malformation likelihood increases. The wider the variation, the greater the problems of malformation.

  SMART FARMING S uccessful with consultant LESSON 5.14 POTATOES - CHEMIGATION WITH DRIP Accurately apply Chemigation with Drip Application on N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Mn, and Zn have a direct impact on yield, tuber number, dry matter, internal structure, skin, storage potential, cooking potential, and tuber strength. To produce a crop that is ‘in-spec’ for its final market, you need to get all these nutrients right using the right amount at the right time and at the right location. Too much nitrogen for example, and you increase your foliage while decreasing dry matter and starch. One of the major benefits of SUBSURFACE DRIP IRRIGATION is the ability to apply chemigation (fertilizer, herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides) accurately and effectively by injecting it into the irrigation system itself. Fertilizer, insecticides, and fungicides are easily applied directly to the root zone with over 90 % uniformity, without manual labour or tractor use. Sprinklers do not provi

  SMART FARMING   S uccessful with consultant LESSON 5.15 POTATOES - CHOOSING THE RIGHT DRIP SYSTEM      Choosing the Right Drip System Processed (crisping, french fries and canning) have different needs, and therefore different irrigation recommendations compared to potatoes grown for the fresh market. Single Row Drip System   When growing for the fresh produce market, quality and consistency is key.   For this reason, it is recommended to have one drip line/tape per row of potatoes for all fresh market crops.    A single row drip system is also recommended for processed market potatoes in many applications.   Typical Installation:     •       90 cm centres; 1 drip line/tape line per row •       Thin wall drip line/tape (4 – 8 mil depending on environmental conditions) •       30 cm dripper spacing with 1 lph flow per dripper depending on spacing.   •       Goal is approximately 3 lph per meter. Slow application of water is beneficial as it helps keep the s

  SMART FARMING        S uccessful with consultant LESSON 5.16 POTATOES - INTRERROW DRIP SYSTEM   Interrow SUBSURFACE DRIP IRRIGATION     For processed markets, there is more flexibility in systems to choose from. It is possible to use one drip line/tape per row of potatoes, or you can also use a re-usable pressure compensated system with a drip line installed every two rows.   Typical Installation: ·          160 cm centres ·          1 drip line per 2 rows of potatoes distanced 80 cm apart ·          Drip line is placed in the shallows of the ridges ·          Heavy wall (above 30 mil wall thickness) PC drip line is used ·          Heavy wall allows for multi-season reuse ·          PC drip line provides accurate flow over wide pressure ranges ·          (sloping round and     long-run lengths) ·          30 cm dripper spacing with 1 lph dripper ·          Shallow burial of the drip line is recommended TIPS: This system is excellent for leasing land