A Belarusian man near Minsk grew a ton of sweet potatoes on four ares
Sweet potatoes, considered an exotic crop in Belarus, can become as good as regular potatoes. Viktor, a resident of Aronava Slabada, not only grew the southern root crop but also developed his own varieties adapted to the local climate, writes pristalica.by.
Growing sweet potatoes in Belarusian conditions is a fascinating process, but requires knowledge. According to Viktor, this year proved more challenging than the previous one due to weather vagaries.
— Sweet potatoes are an unpredictable plant in Belarusian latitudes. In our conditions, they can yield both a super harvest and a minimal harvest — it all depends on which varieties we use," the man explains.
— The weather failed us this year: warmth was followed by rains, and then heat. While last year tubers grew up to two kilograms, this year we consistently get one to one and a half kilograms.
Nevertheless, the right approach yields results. The most important thing is to prepare the beds in time, make them dry and loose, and then cover them with polyethylene. According to the resident of Aronava Slabada, waterlogged soil is detrimental to this crop, while light sandy loam and peat soils are ideal.
Why getting sweet potato seeds is most difficult in Belarus
Viktor's collection could be envied by any agronomist: he had about 54 officially recognized and tested varieties. One of them had to be discarded because it didn't like the local coolness.
A separate area of the owner's work is breeding. Obtaining sweet potato seeds in the Belarusian climate is an extremely difficult task, requiring stable warmth and the work of pollinating insects. In the rainy summer, this was not easy. Nevertheless, the enthusiast successfully germinates seeds in Petri dishes and tests new experimental samples.
— The first Belarusian varieties appeared last year, and this year they passed the second stage of work and showed themselves in the best light. Therefore, some of them will already receive their names," the breeder shares his successes.
For diabetics and people with cardiovascular diseases: how sweet potatoes differ from regular potatoes
In addition to their unusual taste and variety of culinary uses, sweet potatoes are used to make soups, casseroles, mousses, cheesecakes, and even healthy buns. The crop is valued for its properties.
— Sweet potatoes are good because they are fully digestible, unlike regular potatoes, which have a high sugar level. Sweet potatoes have a very low glycemic index, making them beneficial for diabetics and people with cardiovascular diseases," Viktor explains.
Although sweet potatoes are a southern crop, they have already taken root near Minsk — and, it seems, for good. So "the second bread" (potatoes) is still holding on, but it already has a competitor.
Hero of Belarus Maryna Vasilevskaya gave birth to a daughter from cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky 16
Comments