Why do potatoes need modern irrigation?

If you want to grow high yield and high-quality potatoes, a reasonable irrigation system is essential. Huatai Baoer AQUAPIN series pointer sprinkler irrigation machines will provide you with efficient and practical solutions, free from the adverse local climate conditions.

Potatoes are shallow rooted crops that are more sensitive to soil water stress than deep rooted crops. During different stages of potato growth, water stress can affect tuber yield to varying degrees, possibly leading to malformed tubers and affecting the quality of potatoes. Therefore, appropriate irrigation equipment and management will help optimize potato yield, improve the quality of potato seeds and commercial potatoes.

The impact of irrigation on each growth stage

Efficient irrigation management should run through every stage of potato growth, from cultivation to harvest. When designing the irrigation system, Huatai Baoer will consider many factors such as local microclimate, Soil type, altitude and so on. The soil moisture content required for potatoes must be maintained at a relatively high level. For varieties with a growth period of 120-150 days, in order to achieve the best yield, 508-698.5mm of water is required. In short, insufficient irrigation water occurs in the middle to late stages of potato growth and has a greater impact on the final yield than in the early stages.

Nutritional growth period: 15 to 30 days. After sowing, this stage begins when the potato bud breaks dormancy and begins to sprout.

Root growth duration: 10 to 14 days. At this stage, it is necessary to closely track and measure soil moisture values, as this stage is crucial for affecting the yield of potatoes per plant.

Tuber swelling period: over 60 to 90 days. At this stage, soil moisture is directly related to the size and quality of tubers. The amount of water in this stage directly determines the final yield per acre.

Maturation stage of tubers: At this stage, more and more withered leaves no longer require significant transpiration, and the growth rate of tubers also significantly decreases. Therefore, potatoes no longer require too much irrigation water.

Crop water demand

The soil moisture required for potato growth depends on several factors: breeding technology maturity, variety, planting density, soil moisture capacity, climate, supply to the seed market or the food market.

Potatoes are suitable for planting in soil with good drainage and breathability, and the soil pH is between 5 and 6.

Fertilizer needs to be higher than other crops: 80 to 120 kg/ha of N, 50 to 80 kg/ha of P, and 125 to 160 kg/ha of K. The planting depth is generally 5 to 10cm, and the spacing between rows is 0.75 × 0.3m.

In order to better develop irrigation systems, growers need to consider local ET values. The ET value is the total amount of water consumed by a crop throughout its entire growth period. It includes: plant transpiration and inter plant evaporation, humidity, sunlight radiation, wind, crop health status, and different growth stages also have an impact on ET values.

Monitoring ET values

In order to monitor the ET value (evapotranspiration) of crops, the following information is very valuable for reference:

1. Estimated potato ET values predicted by local meteorological stations;

2. The rainfall value of each plot or a set of rainfall values formed by adjacent plots;

3. Reasonably estimate the amount of soil moisture loss.

Optimal irrigation

Compared to other crops, potatoes are more sensitive to soil water deficit. Therefore, in order to achieve the optimization of unit yield, no more than 30% to 50% of the total available water in the soil should be consumed, and the soil moisture value should be maintained at a relatively high level. If tubers are planted and bred, when the soil moisture reaches 40% of the Field capacity, there should be sufficient irrigation. The tubers for processing or direct consumption should be irrigated adequately when the Field capacity is 65%.

In the case of limited water supply, the primary goal of irrigation should be to maximize yield per unit area, rather than using limited water resources to irrigate larger areas of arable land. The main method to achieve water conservation is to adjust the speedometer and irrigation volume of the main control box reasonably.

The water loss caused by ET value (evaporation transpiration) can be achieved by replenishing it every day or every two days, which can achieve very high yields.

Chemical injection or irrigation fertilization

N is a very important nutrient element that contributes greatly to improving the yield and economic benefits of irrigated potatoes. However, if not properly managed, nitrate nitrogen will be lost in large amounts to groundwater, causing waste and pollution.

The management of nitrogen in potatoes under irrigation and fertilization needs to consider the following factors:

N element content

L N application time

Source of N element

Reasonably determine the application amount of nitrogen at each growth stage

Efficient water management system

Reasonably determine the adjustment of crops after harvest

Why use a pointer type sprinkler for irrigation?

Proper irrigation at the appropriate time plays a crucial role in improving yield per unit area, but at the same time, it is also necessary to ensure uniformity of irrigation. Surface irrigation is often underutilized in this regard, but pointer type sprinkler irrigation machines can easily achieve uniform irrigation on potato plots.

Pointer vs. Overflow

1. Reduce waste

This is the most obvious advantage of pointer machines. By using a pointer machine to irrigate each ridge, we can easily obtain a uniform and accurate irrigation water amount, thereby reducing waste. Overflow irrigation, on the other hand, infiltrates a large amount of water at the inlet, which may result in insufficient water at the end. In addition, we can easily control the irrigation time and water volume. Reducing infiltration of water will also reduce pollution to shallow groundwater or nearby small rivers.

Figure 1 Pointer Sprinkler Irrigation

Figure 2 Flood Irrigation

2. More labor-saving

The Aquaspin series pointer irrigation machines produced by Huatai Baoer Company operate automatically without the need for manual movement of pipelines to open or close gates. There is no need for irrigation furrows in the field. A technician can control up to 25 pointer machines. In addition, remote control and automatic monitoring systems can be selected.

3. Higher investment return rate

Long lifespan pointer machines can further save users' usage costs, irrigation water, and energy consumption. Even, precise, and cost-effective chemical or fertilizer injection can also be carried out. All of these combined will greatly increase user output.

Pointer vs. Drip Irrigation

1. Better investment recovery rate

In comparison, the investment in equipment and installation fees for pointer machines is less per acre. For example, the cost of installing an underground drip irrigation system on the same 50 hectares of land is more than twice that of a pointer machine system. A larger area of land will result in a larger cost gap. However, the irrigation efficiency is basically the same (95% vs 98%). In addition, if the user does not want to use it again and sells it, the pointer opportunity has higher resale value.

2. Fewer maintenance issues and labor costs

Compared to underground drip irrigation systems, the maintenance of pointer machines is a very simple task. There is no need to clear the blockage of the drip head and no filter maintenance. Only one inlet with a grid is needed. Rodents, farming and intercropping equipment will not damage the pointer system. Even algae and chemicals are not a problem.

3. More benefits and environmental friendliness

Users can remotely monitor the pointer machine system and quickly carry out irrigation operations after sowing, as well as in other stages of fertility. When users want to remove the device, they do not need to remove or replace damaged or aged SDI drip irrigation tapes. Not to mention, the recycling rate of pointer machine equipment components can reach 95%.