Gardeners Tell Me That Farmers Don’t Chit Potatoes. That is BS. Farmers Do Chit Potatoes. I Know Because Did When I Farmed & I See Farmers Planting Chitted Spuds.
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And if that isn’t conclusive there is huge quantity of research on potato chitting on an international basis. Believe me this research wouldn’t be funded unless there was a good reason to do so.
Chitting Potato
Take the work of Claudia Carvalho, Debbie Rees, Glyn Harper, Adrian Briddon & Richard Colgan. It is entitled ….
You can download it from the link or, for the basics, read the following abstract.
Do Farmers Chit Potatoes – Recent Research Paper Review
The research examines current knowledge, practices, and technologies used in chitting (pre-sprouting) seed potatoes. It was funded by AHDB (Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board) .
Chitting aims to advance the physiological age of seed tubers, potentially offering benefits like earlier emergence, improved yield, and enhanced marketable quality. Earlier emergence can shorten the growing season, particularly advantageous for late-maincrop varieties. Improved disease resistance is another potential benefit, as vigorous early growth may reduce disease susceptibility. However, chitting is less common now due to increased costs, labour, infrastructure needs, and logistical complexity compared to just-in-time seed delivery.
This review discusses the concept of physiological age in seed potatoes and existing research on agronomic factors influenced by chitting. The available research is inconsistent and incomplete, with significant knowledge gaps, especially for current UK potato varieties.
LED lighting offers relatively inexpensive and adaptable systems, potentially using varied light wavelengths during chitting to improve sprout robustness. Existing chitting studies primarily focus on yield. The impact on harvested tuber quality and subsequent storage behaviour is under-researched. Further investigation is needed into the storage potential of tubers from chitted seed. A rapid, low-cost diagnostic tool for assessing tuber physiological age during development is required, along with a degree-day model accurately predicting seed growth and yield responses to storage temperature. Automated systems are being developed to reduce manual labour through modularity and easier mechanical handling.
Further research is required for a robust cost-benefit analysis, providing growers with reliable, evidence-based information on chitted seed use. Collaborative grower trials are suggested to accelerate knowledge acquisition regarding these research gaps.
Despite the numerous questions that still need answering the research was, and is being undertaken, because farmers frequently chit potatoes and need research to enable them to better manage the process.
Chitting Early Potatoes
Potatoes in store are dormant. Chitting is the process of breaking that dormancy. But it does far more. Chitting appears to also affect sweetness of the subsequent harvested crop as well as its yield and keeping quality.
And if there is still some doubt on whether farmers chit potatoes look at all the funded research in recent years.
But first look at this video. The organic Jersey Royals growing in the tunnel were chit and hand planted. The ones being planted by machine are all chit, but with small chits.
Further Potato Chitting Research
Potato Chitting: Early Observations
The practice of encouraging potato sprouts before planting likely predates formal scientific research. Farmers have probably been observing and experimenting with this technique for centuries, recognising its potential benefits.
Early Formal Research
Krijthe, N. 1962. Observations on the sprouting of seed potatoes. European Potato Journal, 5(4), pp 316-333. This study investigated the sprouting behaviour of seed potatoes under various conditions, laying some early groundwork for understanding the factors that influence chitting.
More Recent Potato Chitting Research
This is just a sample of what I’ve found. I didn’t search the Indian, Russian, Chinese and American archives. And let’s remember that according to the latest data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), China produced over 94 million tonnes of potatoes in 2021. This is significantly more than any other country, and accounts for a large portion of the global potato production.
India comes in second place, with a production of around 54 million tonnes in 2021. Other major potato producing countries include Ukraine, the United States, and Russia.
China’s large population and its reliance on potatoes as a staple food contribute to its high potato production and hence chitting research. China has invested heavily in modernising its agricultural sector, which has helped to increase yields and improve efficiency.
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