Wet spring in Manitoba may affect potato yield and quality

Manitoba has had a relatively wet spring and according to Tom Gonsalves, business development specialist for potatoes with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI), all the moisture in the soil certainly has the potential to negatively affect potato crops.

“In a perfect world, the best time to plant potatoes is either in late April or early May. But that depends on the area — generally for the Portage area, though, that is the best time,” explained Gonsalves.

“Right now, in the Portage area and also running down into Carman and Winkler, there aren’t a lot of potatoes that have gone in the ground. If we are talking about optimum times to plant potatoes, we have already passed the optimum time.”

Part of the reason that it is so important to get the potatoes in the ground early in this area has a lot to do with the types of spuds that are planted.

“In Manitoba, and certainly in the Portage area, the majority of potato crops are for processing — they either go to McCain or they go to Simplot. The variety that is used the most for processing is Russet Burbank, and this variety is a longer-season variety,” commented Gonsalves.

“The later in the spring that you plant a potato, especially a longer-season potato, the more risk there is of not getting as much yield or as good of quality in your crop.”