ClosedPost-harvest
On-Farm Storage Improvement
Addresses storage losses in staples and vegetables. This intake has closed; the next cycle will be announced on this page.
Potato
The high-value tuber crop of the Okara and Sahiwal belt.
- Season
- Rabi
- Planting
- Sep – Jan
- Harvest
- Jan – Apr
- Duration
- ~100 days
Grown in: Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan. Windows are indicative and shift with district, altitude and season.
Overview
Why potato matters
Potato is a high-input, high-return Rabi crop concentrated in central Punjab around Okara, Sahiwal and Depalpur, with a summer crop in the northern valleys. Seed quality is the dominant cost and the dominant risk.
Growing conditions
Climate and soil
Climate
Cool weather with 15–25 °C. Tuber formation slows sharply above 30 °C, which is why the crop is timed to the winter window.
Soil
Loose, friable, well-drained sandy loam rich in organic matter, pH 5.5–6.5.
Planting & sowing
Autumn crop sown late September to October; spring crop in January. Use 800–1,000 kg per acre of certified seed tubers, planted on ridges 75 cm apart with 20 cm between plants.
Irrigation
Eight to ten light irrigations. Keep moisture steady during tuber initiation and bulking; erratic watering causes cracking and hollow heart.
Fertilisation
Roughly 100 kg N, 60 kg P₂O₅ and 80 kg K₂O per acre. Potato is a heavy potassium feeder. Earth up at 30 and 45 days to prevent tuber greening.
Harvesting
Harvest 90–110 days after planting once haulms senesce. Dehaulm ten days before lifting to set the skin, then cure in shade before storage.
Crop protection
Pests and diseases
Identify first, then treat on threshold. Routine calendar spraying costs money and drives resistance.
Insect pests 4
- Aphid (virus vector)
- Potato tuber moth
- Cutworm
- White grub
Diseases 4
- Late blight
- Early blight
- Black scurf
- Bacterial wilt
Report a suspected notifiable pest to your district office. Find your office
Related
Support for potato growers
OpenInput support
Farmer Support Initiative
Direct input-cost support aimed at smallholders, delivered through district agriculture offices and paid against verified purchase receipts.
OpenWater & irrigation
Modern Irrigation Programme
Supports the shift from flood irrigation to pressurised systems, with technical design provided by the department’s water management wing.
Publications
- Wheat Production Guide · Crop guide · PDF
- Rice Cultivation Manual · Crop guide · PDF
- Cotton Crop Management Handbook · Crop guide · PDF
Confirm the dates for your own district.
Sowing windows shift with altitude, canal rotation and the season itself. Your district office has the local figures.