Why have my potatoes got brown spots inside?

[Selectamatic]

Hello,

Pentland Crown Spuds, look a lovely size and shape, very clean skin, but on the inside they have some brown spots.

The spots are not soft, and sometimes penetrate deep into the spud.

What are they?

 

[Billboy1]

Sprang ? Maybe

 

[Lincs Lass]

http://www.yara.co.uk/crop-nutrition/crops/potato/quality/reducing-potato-internal-spotting/

 

[ridger]

Are they dug? If they are it's damage/bruising

 

[Selectamatic]

Are they dug? If they are it's damage/bruising

No, well, yes, they are, but dug by a hand fork, not mechanically harvested yet.

 

[Selectamatic]

http://www.yara.co.uk/crop-nutrition/crops/potato/quality/reducing-potato-internal-spotting/

So, my land is lacking calcium?!

Surely it cant be that hard to grow some soddin' spuds? What about gardeners everywhere than plonk a few potato plants in the ground and get a bumper crop of happy, clean, tasty taters?! Why cant it happen to me?!

 

[Lincs Lass]

Did you apply any compound fert before planting ,,they are hungry as they are growing ,,we applied 13-13-20 @ 13cwt per acre ,,then as they got going ,another 2 cwt of nitrogen

 

[Kidds]

we applied 13-13-20 @ 13cwt per acre

Is that how much taters usually get?
I didn't know they were as hungry as that.

 

[Selectamatic]

Did you apply any compound fert before planting ,,they are hungry as they are growing ,,we applied 13-13-20 @ 13cwt per acre ,,then as they got going ,another 2 cwt of nitrogen

No, but the land is in very good heart, grassland ploughed for the first time in 60 odd years, field right next to the yard...

 

[Lincs Lass]

Is that how much taters usually get?
I didn't know they were as hungry as that.

we grew alot for crisping ,records and saturner ,,they do need a hell of alot ,,look like a snow storm putting it on

 

[spin cycle]

wireworm?

 

[Lincs Lass]

wireworm?

Naa ,be full of little holes

 

[Lincs Lass]

No, but the land is in very good heart, grassland ploughed for the first time in 60 odd years, field right next to the yard...

Thats maybe the problem ,,could have a nematode problem

 

[Kidds]

we grew alot for crisping ,records and saturner ,,they do need a hell of alot ,,look like a snow storm putting it on

Didn't know they had that much, I've never grown them on a big scale.
Have grown blackcurrants and they will take 15cwt 20:10:10 quite happily.

 

[Lincs Lass]

Didn't know they had that much, I've never grown them on a big scale.
Have grown blackcurrants and they will take 15cwt 20:10:10 quite happily.

We used 20-10-10 for sugar beet @10 cwt ,plus 6 cwt of kaynit on the stubbles before ploughing it in

 

[chipchap]

Internal rust spot.
Very common this year, especially on sandy soils.
Some growers have whole fields worthless.

 

[Lincs Lass]

Was it new certified seed or once grown

 

[chipchap]

Used to get a bit in Maris Piper, but not had any since we've been using organic manures on spuds.

 

[T Bourne]

Hi Selectamatic, In regards to the amount of fertiliser spuds need, I'm unfamiliar with the units that you're using "10 ctw" ect but here in Australia a typical minimum fert application would be a pre-spread of something like
0-4-25-6 at 1000kg/ha and then maybe
10-16-13-1 at 2000kg/ha at planting. We would then apply calcium nitrate at say 300kg/Ha at week 4 or 5 followed by two or three urea applications of 150-200kg/Ha. We use calcium nitrate for the first application of N as the calcium helps to reduce the occurrence of hollow heart, brown centres and low solids. Are you in a low pH area? That may be what the brown spots are. We grow mainly Russet Burbank's, Mac 1 and Rangers, aiming for a yield of 70-80t/Ha. One farmer nearby here regularly gets 90t/Ha but he does use another ton of fert to do it. Cheers.

 

[Iben]

Hi Selectamatic, In regards to the amount of fertiliser spuds need, I'm unfamiliar with the units that you're using "10 ctw" ect but here in Australia a typical minimum fert application would be a pre-spread of something like
0-4-25-6 at 1000kg/ha and then maybe
10-16-13-1 at 2000kg/ha at planting. We would then apply calcium nitrate at say 300kg/Ha at week 4 or 5 followed by two or three urea applications of 150-200kg/Ha. We use calcium nitrate for the first application of N as the calcium helps to reduce the occurrence of hollow heart, brown centres and low solids. Are you in a low pH area? That may be what the brown spots are. We grow mainly Russet Burbank's, Mac 1 and Rangers, aiming for a yield of 70-80t/Ha. One farmer nearby here regularly gets 90t/Ha but he does use another ton of fert to do it. Cheers.

What does that all cost to put on?

I put on 1000lt/ha liquid 9.5n/11s pre-planting and 850kg/ha 13.13.21, aiming for 50-55t/ha.

Anyway, off topic. Really need pictures of brown sports to identify properly.