I want to cut my seed potatoes to save on seed cost. How do I do it without rotting and disease spread?
3 Answers
Cut seed can save cost but it is the easiest way to spread rot and disease if done carelessly. Use only healthy, disease free, well sprouted tubers and cut so each piece has at least one or two good eyes and enough flesh, usually pieces of a reasonable size, not thin slivers. Disinfect the cutting knife frequently, for example by dipping in a disinfectant between tubers, so you do not carry bacterial and viral disease from one tuber to the next. Many farmers prefer to suberise or heal the cut pieces by keeping them in a cool, airy place for a short period before planting so the cut surface dries and forms a protective layer, and a recommended seed treatment helps. Cut seed is risky in warm, wet conditions, so whole small tubers are safer where rot pressure is high. Confirm piece size, treatment and timing with your KVK.
I always change the knife or dip it in disinfectant often. One year I got lazy and bacterial rot wiped out a big patch from cut seed.
Cutting too thin cost me. Small slivers with one weak eye dried out and gave thin, gappy plants. Now I keep each piece a good chunk with enough flesh to feed the sprout, and the stand is much more even.