The Vitebsk Zonal Institute of Agriculture of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus was among the first in the region to begin potato harvesting
Despite a dry year, the harvest of the staple crop here is good.
As the chief agronomist of the enterprise, Dmitry Kovalenko, stated, this year, like the previous one, potatoes are being harvested using the enterprise's own resources. Since the end of August, a potato harvester operated by tractor driver-machinist Alexander Terentyev has been working in the tract with the potato variety Manifest. Two units of machinery are involved in transporting the harvest. The tubers are sent to the enterprise's own potato storage, where they undergo initial cleaning, and then for 14-20 days they are cured and cooled in a chamber. After the vegetable's skin hardens and the eyes close, sorting will begin.
Tractor driver-machinist Dmitry Bulokhov and Dmitry Kovalenko are satisfied with the Manifest harvest. It is precisely Manifest, according to Dmitry Kovalenko, that has proven to be the most productive in the current extreme weather conditions and sufficiently drought-resistant. Of the 42 hectares allocated for the staple crop this year, this table variety of potato, which is ideally suited for frying and boiling, occupies exactly half, which is due to its high demand among the population. An average of 30 tons of tubers are harvested per hectare. Potato pancakes made from Manifest do not darken for up to 6 hours – tested by housewives!
Seed material of domestic selection varieties such as Briz and Skarb is also in demand by buyers. On average, up to 300 tons of potatoes are sold to the population annually. The remaining part of the produce is purchased by agricultural organizations, farmers, catering establishments, and educational institutions for their own needs.
A total of 11 varieties of Belarusian-bred potatoes are cultivated at the Vitebsk Zonal Institute, in 7 reproductions.
Three new varieties are also being prepared for sale. Umka and Garantiya are awaiting their time in the institute's greenhouse complex, while the medium-early Mastak is in the preliminary propagation nursery. The Zonal Institute will be one of the first to market it in Belarus. This is planned for 2024. This autumn, the enterprise will sell Lel potatoes, which are ideal for making chips and French fries. This is a kind of domestic response to foreign analogues.
As noted by the Scientific Secretary of the Vitebsk Zonal Institute, Oleg Ravbis, employees are continuing other, no less useful experiments. Two varieties of purple potatoes, created specifically for therapeutic dietary nutrition and successfully presented during the traditional spring tasting, are currently undergoing the necessary trials.
– It is good that the weather has absolutely no effect on the condition of the planting material in our greenhouse complex. Everything here depends solely on the human factor, timely and high-quality care for the plants, and we have no issues with this at our enterprise, – says Oleg Ravbis.
Harvest, preserve, process, and sell – these are the tasks set for the team regarding the "second bread" by the head of the Vitebsk Zonal Institute, Andrey Balysh.
In parallel with potato harvesting, the enterprise is sowing winter crops and preparing the soil for them. Approximately 400 hectares of winter wheat, barley, rye, and triticale are yet to be sown, while the sowing of winter rapeseed has been completed within optimal deadlines. Very soon, the institute's fields will begin harvesting buckwheat. The climatic conditions in the Vitebsk region allow for its harvesting in late September – early October. By this time, scientists are confident, the buckwheat will have reached the necessary maturity.
In addition, the enterprise's agrarians are selectively harvesting spring rapeseed; as this crop matures, machinery is deployed to the fields. This work is planned to be fully completed by September 15.
Source: vitebsk-region.gov.by