Potato "Vector": characteristics, care and cultivation

The most popular vegetable in the CIS countries, and not only, is potato.From it you can make a huge variety of dishes: side dishes, soups, casseroles, salads. Potatoes have a wide variety of varieties, but the “Vector” is particularly notable among them, which was liked by most amateur gardeners and owners of large agricultural land. In terms of yield and taste, the vegetable scored 4.7 points out of a possible 5.

Belarusian breeders are not lagging behind their foreign colleagues and continue to produce no less high-quality potatoes. In the Lorkh Research Institute, the Vector was bred, and its parents were Zarevo and 1977-76. In the state register it was entered in 2014. Initially, the variety was dubbed "Vector Belarusian", but then decided to shorten the name.

Potatoes "Vector" adapts well to different climatic conditions and brings a rich harvest, regardless of the composition of the soil. But selectors note that the most suitable soil for this class is peat bog and sod-podzolic. In addition, the vegetable is resistant to diseases, therefore, does not require special conditions of cultivation and care. By the time of ripening potato varieties "Vector" is middle late, because the formation of root crops requires an average of 110 days.

The culture has low, straight bushes with small leaves of a dark green shade. During maturation, up to 15 inflorescences appear in the plant, colored in purple.

Root "Vector" have small size, each of them weighs 90-150 g. In shape, they can be round and oval, eyes are usually small. The skin of the potato is dense, of a brown-red hue. The flesh is light yellow, hard and juicy. It contains 18-20% starch, so this vegetable has a high calorie content. When cooked, the potatoes do not darken and have the properties of boiling soft, so it is great for making mashed potatoes.

The yield of "Vector" is quite high, because even under relatively unfavorable conditions, it is possible to collect 250 centners of potatoes per hectare. And if we ensure proper cultivation of the crop and properly prepare the land before planting, then the level of fruiting will be increased 2.5 times. This variety is often used for industrial processing - alcohol, starch, and chips are made from it.

Every gardener knows that the quality and quantity of the crop depends on the planting material. Beginning gardeners when planting potatoes often make the same mistakes, because of what the culture bears fruit badly. To grow a large potato "Vector", tubers for sowing must have the following characteristics:

• hen egg size or more;
• lack of damage and signs of disease;
• eyes in large numbers.

Before you start planting potatoes, it must be prepared, namely to create the conditions under which the tubers begin to germinate. To do this, they should be laid out on the floor or in boxes in one row in a well-lit room. Also, to speed up the ripening of seeds, gardeners recommend watering them with cold water. After 7 days they will sprout. Then, 2 days before planting, the potatoes need to warm up, so it is laid out in the street under direct sunlight.

Soil, as well as the plant, needs careful preparation. It should be enough nutrients that the vegetable could grow and bear fruit. For the "Vector" choose a well-lit area of ​​land with a high degree of moisture penetration. The last condition is extremely important, because if the water stagnates in the ground, the culture will simply rot.

Potato yield is directly dependent on the soil, so it needs to be refined. The land plot is prepared in the autumn period and is done as follows:

• eliminate weeds and possible pests;
• plowing or digging the ground;
• 100 g of wood ash and 3 kg of humus are added to each square meter.

Planting potatoes "Vector" carried out in May, when the temperature of the earth at a depth of 10 cm exceeds 10 degrees. Moreover, during this period rains begin, due to which the soil moisture will be maintained. This type of vegetable can be planted manually or with the help of a cultivator. In the first case, dig holes up to 10 cm in depth with a step of 30 cm, and in the second case, ridges are cut and the tubers are laid out at a distance of 30-40 cm.

The Belarusian potato variety does not require special care during cultivation, but in order to get a good harvest, it is necessary to create the most favorable conditions for it. It is necessary to periodically loosen the ground using a rake, but if it is too dry, then it should be done carefully and not deeply, and also you should first thoroughly moisten the surface with water. It is important to prevent drying of the top layer of soil, since this will impede the germination of bushes and air circulation. In addition, you should constantly remove weeds, without waiting for their growth.

Potatoes do not like high humidity, because it can simply start to rot, so you need to follow the rules of watering. The first soil moistening is carried out immediately after the planting of the crop, and the subsequent ones only after the plant has risen and begins to bloom.

When growing potatoes "Vector" it is necessary to maintain the balance of nutrients in the soil, so it is fertilized periodically. But the main thing here is not to overdo it, because an excessive amount of top dressing can negatively affect the taste qualities of root vegetables. Experienced gardeners recommend fertilizing the land if potato bushes do not grow well or their stems look thin and weak. To do this, prepare the following composition - in 10 l of water diluted with 1 tbsp. l urea and 1 liter of chicken dung or manure. Under each bush should pour 0.5 liters of fluid.

With poor soil and poor potato development, specialists introduce supplements in 3 stages:

1. before flowering bushes - 1 tbsp. l urea, diluted in 10 liters of water;
2. with the appearance of inflorescences - add 1 tbsp to 10 l of water l potassium;
3. during flowering - 1 tbsp. l superphosphate to 10 liters of water.

At about 105–110 days, you can begin harvesting “Vector” potatoes. When digging bushes should be careful not to damage the roots, of which there are usually 12-15 pieces. It is necessary to retreat 10-15 cm from the stem, immersing the shovel as deep as possible. After the whole area has been dug up, the tubers need to be dried thoroughly - for this they are left on the ground under the sun.

For storage of potatoes in advance prepare a place that should be dark, wet, cool and ventilated. The ideal option is the cellar, but also suitable basement or pantry. Before you put the crop in boxes or bags, you need to sort it out - rotten tubers should be thrown away immediately, and the damaged ones should be consumed immediately. After reviewing the reviews of gardeners, you can see that they all indicate a long shelf life for this variety, but if all the necessary conditions were met.

The description of the potato "Vector" says that it is resistant to most diseases, but still some diseases can overcome a vegetable of this variety. Fortunately, they are all curable, it is only important to “make a diagnosis” in a timely manner.

• Late blight - A fungal disease that manifests itself as dark spots on the leaves. For the purpose of prophylaxis, the plant is sprayed with a solution of vitriol every 10 days, but if the disease has already manifested itself, then Ridomyl fungicide is used to treat the culture.
• Alternaria, or dry spotting, manifests itself as black spots on the leaves and can affect all parts of the plant. Usually transmitted from infected tubers. To combat the disease you need to spray potato bushes with a solution of "Utan" or "Profit" during the growing season.
• Scab - small ulcers on the tubers, which eventually merge into large foci. The disease is not cured, so you should carefully examine the tubers before planting, and they are recommended to be treated with Trichodermine.

In addition to the above diseases, the Belarusian "Vector" must be protected from the following pests:

1. Colorado beetle - an insect with white stripes on the back, feeding on stalks and leaves of potatoes. The greatest danger is their larvae, which are orange in color and are usually located on the back of the leaves. They are very voracious, so if they are not promptly destroyed, up to 50% of the crop may die. To combat the pest should be used insecticide "Karado".
2. Medvedka - an insect living under the ground, the length of an individual reaches 5 cm. While digging underground passages it damages a vegetable. In order for the bear to not get to the potatoes, it is recommended to plant chrysanthemums around the perimeter of the plot, and when grinding the soil, add chopped egg shells. You can also use chemicals "Vofatoks" or "Rembek."
3. Slugs eat both the leaves and the fruits. Usually they get rid of them manually, for this purpose between the beds put ruberoid or boards, under which pests will hide during the day, because they are most active at night. In addition, you can generously strew the beds of eggshell, on which the slug will certainly get hurt, trying to crawl to the potato bush. With a large number of pests, it is necessary to treat the culture with a chemical solution “Pochin”.
4. Wireworm - insect 2 cm long with an orange color, resembling a piece of wire. It damages the tubers of potatoes. As a preventive measure, before planting, the wells should be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate or “Bazudin”.

Secrets of potato cultivation, see below in the video.