Production and multiplication of national potato varieties in family farming systems

Abstract

Potato is the main vegetable in terms of production volume at national level. In Uruguay, two agricultural cycles are carried out every year, in autumn and in spring. Potato small-scale family farmers represent 80% in number and cover only 10% of national area. The current system of seed multiplication allows for two  crops in two years, involving the conservation of seed tubers for six  months. An alternative scheme for family farmers has been proposed, based on the use of national short dormancy varieties. With proper management, it is possible to obtain four crops in two years. In order to support the insertion of family farmers in a multiplication scheme of national varieties and to identify the main management factors to be improved, the monitoring of seed production was carried out in 2016. Farms were visited every 15 days to assess crop growth and health and support decision making. Total yield was estimated and classified into categories. Critical management factors discussed with farmers were crop design and density, emergence, harvest and post harvest management. We found harvest date is a bottleneck for family farmers, where delays in harvest are frequent. The delay of the spring harvest would not allow using these seeds for the autumn crop since they would not reach an adequate sprouting state. In spite of the fact that national varieties have short dormancy, for this scheme of seed multiplication, the spring harvest date is a key factor to ensure a proper sprout status for the next planting season.