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16. Potatoes and Kale (Higher level)  Potatoes are the most popular vegetable in Ireland. They are members of the Solanaceae family.    Categories of potatoes First and second earlies are planted in early February. Maincrop are planted March – April. They have a higher yield and are flourier. Exampl...

16. Potatoes and Kale (Higher level)  Potatoes are the most popular vegetable in Ireland. They are members of the Solanaceae family.    Categories of potatoes First and second earlies are planted in early February. Maincrop are planted March – April. They have a higher yield and are flourier. Example rooster and Kerr pinks.    Seed production falls into two categories, Certified seed potatoes and potatoes for human consumption.     Soil suitability differs as potatoes grow in different soils. Soil ph. must be 5-6 and well drained. Farmyard manure is added to hold more water in the soil.     Preparation of seed bed should be deep and well-cultivated soil. Large stones must be removed to prevent damage to the tubers. Seeds should be sown 10cm deep with a 30cm space between each. Seeds are usually planted in trays under light until tubers sprout.      Fertiliser application of nitrogen increased yield but too much nitrogen will cause potatoes to become watery and decreases the DM. Addition of Phosphorus will increase DM and encourages early rooting.     Diseases such as potato blight is an airborne fungus spores travel by wind. Yellow spots turn black, and a white fungus grows on leaves. Potato blight was the cause of the famine in Ireland. A fungicide can help prevent blight and should be sprayed regularly if weather conditions are warm.  Blackleg is a more common bacterial disease it causes soft rot in tubers in both growing and fully established crops. Like blight yellow colouration begins but the stems turn black. It is spread by seeds. Crop rotation and use of certified seed will help reduce this.   Potato blight     Harvest, storage, and yield of early potatoes are beginning from late May onwards where maincrops start from late September. They are harvested with a Potato harvester. They are stored in a ventilated insulated store. Heat must be controlled to reduce sprouting.    harvester  16. Kale (Higher Level) Kale catch Crops or fodder crops are fast growing and are often used as a method of crop rotation. Mainly used for animal feed. They are a member of the Cruciferae family.                  Soil must be a ph. of 6-6.5. often sown in autumn and used as winter feed. Little to no ploughing is needed.     This crop is susceptible to air borne fungus such as club root that can be prevented with rotation. Beetles feed on the roots of the plants this can be prevented with insecticide.    Club root   Feeding kale to livestock needs to be fed in moderation as it can cause anaemia in cattle or red water this damages red blood cells which is then passed through urine like red water fever.