Potatoes chitting

In agriculture and horticulture plastics are most widely known in film form but they also find use for water piping containers, automatic watering equipment and potato chitting trays to name but a few uses. 

Potatoes are always grown from tubers. Always buy certified seed potatoes from a reliable source. They usually grow better if chitted before planting (see panel, opposite). Bulb onions and shallots can be grown from seed, but most... 

Seed potatoes usually appear in nurseries, or are shipped by mailorder suppliers, in late winter to early spring, in order that they may be "chitted" for a few weeks before planting out. Lay out the tubers in shallow trays—egg cartons near right) are ideal. Place the end with the most "eyes" (dormant buds) uppermost. Put them in a light, warm place until they sprout. Once frost has become rare and the soil has warmed up, plant them out far right) with the sprouted end uppermost. 

Potato leaf roll virus - PLRV Virus Lower leaves are rolled upwards and inwards they feel brittle and crackle when handled. The other leaves are hghter green and more erect than normal. Yield is lowered. The virus is transmitted by aphids from plant to plant. Peach potato aphid is the main vector. Infected tubers (which show no signs of the disease) are planted and thus the disease is carried forward from year to year. (1) Resistant varieties (2) Use high grade seed (3) Ensure no aphids in the chitting house (4) Apply a suitable systemic insecticide to reduce the spread of the virus (5) Reduce sources of infection - dumps etc. 

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