b"Seeding ChecklistAs you prepare your potato seed to plant this spring, here are a few things to keep in mind.BY: ASHLEY ROBINSONPREPARING YOUR SEED and making sure youre planting the right variety If the seeds been de-sprouted, if it's been cutall of these things add to for your area can help optimize your potato crop. Here are a few things tostress to it. keep in mind for spring planting, from Steven Johnson, crops specialist with This can cause fusarium development on seed.the University of Maines presentation at the Ontario Potato Conference in Guelph, Ont. in March.Cutting is part of optimizing stand emergence. The more efficient your seed and the better your seed cutters will be. And when the seed cutters cut moreYou need to know the potato seed variety you are growing. When new varie- precisely, it's going to plant more precisely and not have multiple seed pieces ties come into an area, how they're fertilized, how they're planted, how they'regoing in.handled, how they're cooked, size of seed piece, eye distribution. This is really Undersides and slivers should be removed from cut seed.critical that your local area needs to get looked at before you start.Seed cutters should be disinfested and calibrated. Some varieties dont allow you to cut the seed before planting.Seeds should be cut in a uniform, consistent cut. The size of cut depends Understanding what the variety is and how to handle it is very critical. on the variety of seed youre using.Your seed should be warm when you plant it. Putting cold seed into warm Fertilizer placement is key, its about getting the fertilizer right. It isnt a ground can cause condensation on tubers. rush, it takes time. Storage systems can be used to warm seed with air handling systems. If you warm seed in January or February, pre-cut it and let it cool backdown, youve added multiple stresses to it and youre probably pushing it further than you want.BOX & BIG BAGHANDLINGTAILORED SOLUTIONS FOR THE CANADIAN FARMER AND PROCESSORWWW.VHM-MACHINERY.NL5606 62 ST TABER, AB T1G 1Y5403-223-0345 [email protected] WWW.PRAIRIESIDE.CAYOUR SOURCE FOR PARTS AND SUPPLIERSFROM MANY EUROPEAN MANUFACTURERSSPRING 2020 SPUDSMART.COM 39"