Center for Crop Diversification Crop Profile

CCD-CP-113

Potatoes
Cheryl Kaiser1 and Matt Ernst2
Introduction
The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a cool-season
plant originally from the Andes Mountains of South
America. The tubers are underground stems, not roots.
Potatoes are most often grown in Kentucky as an early
crop for fresh market consumption.

Marketing and Market Outlook

Potatoes are one of the most widely consumed crops
in the world. Per capita potato use in the U.S. declined
from the 1990s into the early 2000s, from about 135
pounds to 125 pounds per year for both processing
and fresh potatoes. Per capita potato use continued
declining from 2006 to 2016, though not at the rate
of the previous decade. Fresh market potato consump- processing potatoes are purchased by contract with
tion was estimated to be from 33 to 35 pounds per experienced growers who usually grow specialized
capita annually from 2012 to 2016 while consumption chipping potato varieties on a very large scale.
of processing potatoes was 78 to 80 pounds.
Production considerations
Fresh market options for potatoes grown in Kentucky Cultivar selection
include farmers markets, produce auctions, coopera- Potato cultivars differ in such tuber characteristics as
tives, community supported agriculture (CSA) shares skin color (white, shades of red, and purple tones),
and roadside stands. Opportunities also exist for the flesh color (white, yellows, blue and purple), shape
production of small “new” potatoes, russets, heir- (elongated to round), eye depth (shallow to deep), skin
looms and other specialty types for local markets, texture (smooth to rough) and size. Varietal differenc-
sales to restaurants or sales to local/area wholesalers. es also include earliness (early, mid- or late-season)
Sales of very small “mini” or “creamer” potatoes (1 and use (baking, chipping, all purpose). Disease re-
to 1½ inches in diameter) are also possible and com- sistance/tolerance to scab, early blight, late blight and
mand premium prices in some markets. blackleg are available in some varieties. “New” pota-
toes are often red-skinned, but can be any variety that
While processing potatoes can be grown is harvested early in the season when
in Kentucky, northern production areas tubers are 1½ to 2¼ inches in diameter.
dominate chipping and frozen potato Gourmet or mini potatoes are produced
markets. Profit margins tend to be much from varieties that tend to yield high
tighter for processing potatoes and high numbers of small tubers. Fresh market
yields are critical for profitability. Most www.uky.edu/CCD producers may want to consider adding
1
Cheryl Kaiser is a former Extension Associate with the Center for Crop Diversification.
2
Matt Ernst is an independent contractor with the Center for Crop Diversification.
Cooperative Extension Service | Agriculture and Natural Resources | Family and Consumer Sciences | 4-H Youth Development | Community and Economic Development
heirloom cultivars to their mix, along with specialty
cultivars. Commercial growers should select only
well-adapted varieties that have the qualities in de-
mand for the intended end-use and market.

Site selection and planting

Loam soils are most desirable for good potato yields;
however, potatoes can be grown on a wide range of
well-drained soil types. Sod ground should be treated
for grub and wireworm control prior to planting. Po-
tatoes should not follow potatoes or other solanaceous
crops (e.g. tomatoes, eggplant, tobacco or peppers)
on the same ground year after year. A three- or four- fields. Scouting to monitor insect populations and to
year rotation program should be followed. If tobacco identify disease problems early can help growers de-
is grown on the same farm, potatoes should not be termine if, when and how often pesticides should be
planted within 200 yards to reduce the risk of aphid- applied. Herbicides, mechanical cultivation, and a
transmitted viruses moving from one crop to the other. good rotation system can help manage weeds.
Only certified seed stock should be purchased. Fif- Harvest and storage
teen to 18 100-pound bags of seed potatoes are usu- The best time to dig potatoes will depend on the price
ally needed to plant an acre. Early potatoes are planted and the market. For “new” potatoes or smaller-sized
from March 15 to April 10 while a late crop is planted “gourmet” varieties that will be sold locally early in
from June 15 to July 15 in Kentucky. Cultivation is the season, it may be necessary to dig before the vines
necessary for weed control and to keep soil hilled up die back. In these situations, cutting or mowing the
around plants. plants a couple of days prior to digging, while not nec-
essary, can help firm up the skin. The vines of potatoes
Potatoes have been grown on raised beds with black dug for storage should be dead prior to digging. Using
plastic and drip irrigation. Plasticulture production approved chemicals to kill the plant tops will aid in
of potatoes generally allows for easier harvest, par- earlier harvest and promote a firmer skin set.
ticularly when harvesting over a long period of time.
High soil temperatures under black plastic, however, Washing potatoes for fresh market is desirable. Po-
can result in smaller tubers in mid- and late-season tatoes may be stored for long periods at the proper
maturing varieties. In addition, plastic mulch can be temperature and relative humidity. Spraying potato
an impediment to harvest in larger scale plantings; it plants with an approved growth regulator while still in
is only recommended for small plantings of potatoes. the field can reduce sprouting in storage. Potatoes are
Potatoes have also been grown under high tunnels for marketed in a variety of containers depending on the
even earlier harvests. size/type of potato and the market. Fingerling potatoes
are often sold in clamshell containers or small mesh
Pest management bags.
Colorado potato beetle and flea beetles are the key
insect pests of potato. Potential disease problems in- Labor requirements
clude blackleg, early blight, root knot nematodes, Labor needs for potato production are approximately
Rhizoctonia stem canker, scurf, scab and viruses. Late 25 hours per acre. Harvesting fresh market potatoes
blight could become a problem during cool, wet grow- requires approximately 50 hours per acre, with an ad-
ing seasons. Multiple control strategies are needed to ditional 25 hours per acre for washing, grading, bag-
prevent or reduce losses. The use of certified seed, va- ging and packing. Harvest labor requirements will be
rietal resistance, crop rotation, sanitation, seed treat- higher for hand-dug “new” or mini potatoes. Potatoes
ment and pesticide applications are important strate- for chipping require approximately 20 hours per acre
gies for managing disease and insect pests in potato for harvest and marketing.
Economic considerations Selected Resources
Initial investments include land preparation, fertiliza- • An IPM Scouting Guide for Common Pests of
tion, and purchase of seed potatoes. An additional Solanaceous Crops in Kentucky, ID-172 (University
start-up cost for a wholesale market operation can in- of Kentucky, 2008) http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/
clude the installation of an irrigation system. pubs/id/id172/id172.pdf
• Price Reports (Center for Crop Diversification)
Pre-harvest production costs (2017) for fresh market http://www.uky.edu/ccd/pricereports
potatoes are estimated at $1,050 per acre, with harvest • Vegetable and Melon Budgets (University of
and marketing costs at $1,545 per acre. Total costs, in- Kentucky, 2017) http://www.uky.edu/ccd/tools/
cluding fixed costs, are approximately $3,100 per acre. budgets
Presuming gross returns of $3,300 per acre, returns to • Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial
land, capital and management come to approximately Growers, ID-36 (University of Kentucky)
$55 per acre (assuming primarily wholesale price lev- http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/id/id36/id36.pdf
els). Returns to land, labor, capital and management • Commercial Potato Production and Management
are estimated at $205 per acre. (Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives,
2014) https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/
This projection assumes an average price of $12 per production/potatoes.html
hundredweight (cwt) for fresh market potatoes. This • Commercial Potato Production in North America
price is based mainly on wholesale price levels with (The Potato Association of America, 2010)
limited direct sales. Producers marketing directly to http://vric.ucdavis.edu/pdf/POTATOES/
customers at higher prices per pound ($0.25 to $1 Commercial%20Potato%20Production%20in%20
retail) may increase the potential profitability of po- North%20America%202010.pdf
tato production. A 2017 estimate for producing 3,000 • Organic Alternatives for Late Blight Control in
pounds of potatoes sold at $0.50 per pound indicated Potatoes (ATTRA, 2004) http://attra.ncat.org/attra-
returns to land, capital and management in the $800 pub/lateblight.html
range for nearby or on-farm sales. • Potatoes (Agricultural Marketing Resource Center,
2014) http://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/
Production of potatoes for processing (chipping) vegetables/potatoes/
would only be economically feasible with strong • Potatoes: Organic Production and Marketing
yields, larger acreages and contracts with wholesalers (ATTRA, 2009) http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/
or processors that lock in reasonable price levels. potatoes.html
• Potato Varieties: A Comprehensive List
Growers in Kentucky have had some success mar- (Washington State University, 2013)
keting potatoes on a smaller scale through produce http://potatoes.wsu.edu/varieties/
auctions and farmers markets; potatoes are typically • Specialty Potatoes (University of California at
sold by the peck or bushel during the early summer Davis Small Farm Center, 1992) http://sfp.ucdavis.
markets. Irish-type baking potatoes as well as small edu/pubs/brochures/Specialtypotatoes/
red and white potatoes have had strong demand from Suggested Citation:
consumers as well as buyers in the local restaurant
Kaiser, C. and M. Ernst. (2018). Potatoes. CCD-CP-113.
community. Historic prices can be found in Center Lexington, KY: Center for Crop Diversification, University
for Crop Diversification produce auction and farmers of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.
market price reports online. Available: http://www.uky.edu/ccd/sites/www.uky.edu.ccd/files/
potatoes.pdf

Reviewed by Brent Rowell, UK Extension Specialist, International and Sustainable Horticulture, and Josh
Knight, UK Senior Extension Associate, Center for Crop Diversification
Photos courtesy of Pixabay.com April 2018
For additional information, contact your local County Extension agent
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