Potato is a major food security and cash crop in Kenya, with leading production in counties like Nyandarua, Nakuru, Elgeyo Marakwet, Meru, and Trans Nzoia. As the second most consumed staple after maize, its successful cultivation demands precise, stage-specific management to overcome pests, diseases, and nutrient deficiencies. Murphy Chemicals Kenya offers a robust portfolio of agrochemicals to support farmers through each critical growth phase.
Stages of Potato Growth & Recommended Murphy Chemicals Products
1. Seed Selection, Treatment & Land Preparation (Pre-Planting)
- Objective: Start with certified, disease-free seed and prepare a well-drained, fertile seedbed.
- Key Practices: Use certified seed (e.g., Shangi, Kenya Karibu, Unica), deep ploughing, soil testing, and proper ridging.
- Challenges: Soil-borne diseases (Black scurf, Common scab), wireworms, and seed-borne blight.
Murphy Chemicals Recommendations:
- Seed Tuber Dressing: Murphy Avisa® 500SC (Chlorpyrifos ethyl). Used as a seed treatment to protect against soil pests like wireworms and cutworms at germination.
- Seed & Soil-Borne Disease Protection: Murphy Milthion Super 69EW (Propineb + Cymoxanil) or Victory 72WP (Metalaxyl-M + Mancozeb). A fungicide slurry for treating seed tubers before planting to control early blight, black scurf (*Rhizoctonia*), and suppress soil-borne fungal pathogens.
- Pre-Emergent Herbicide: Murphy Codex 860EW (Propaquizafop) or Agromine 860EW (Propaquizafop). Applied after planting but before weed emergence to control grassy weeds, providing a clean start for the crop.
2. Sprouting & Emergence (Weeks 1-3 Post-Planting)
- Objective: Ensure uniform and healthy crop emergence.
- Key Practices: Maintain optimal soil moisture; avoid compaction.
- Challenges: Rhizoctonia stem canker, remaining soil pests, early weed competition.
Murphy Chemicals Recommendations:
- Early Disease Protection: A preventative spray with Murphy Milthion Super 69EW protects emerging shoots from fungal attacks.
- Insect Control: If cutworm damage appears, a targeted spray with Murphy Avisa® 500SC around the plant base is effective.
3. Vegetative Growth (Stolon & Haulm Development) (Weeks 4-8)
- Objective: Build a robust, photosynthetically efficient canopy.
- Key Practices: First earthing up, top-dressing with Nitrogen (e.g., CAN), and scouting for pests/diseases.
- Challenges: Early blight, aphids (virus vectors), leaf miners, whiteflies, and mite damage.
Murphy Chemicals Recommendations:
- Foliar Disease Control (Early Blight): Murphy Victory 72WP (Metalaxyl-M + Mancozeb) or Milthion Super 69EW. These are cornerstone fungicides for managing early blight, applied on a 7-14 day schedule depending on weather.
- Sucking Pest Control: Murphy Agora 247SC (Acetamiprid + Chlorantraniliprole). Controls aphids (preventing virus transmission like PLRV), whiteflies, and thrips. Its systemic action offers prolonged protection.
- Mite Control: Murphy Dynamec 1.8EC (Abamectin). Effective against red spider mites which can damage foliage during dry spells.
- Plant Growth Regulation: Murphy Biozone Rooter®. Applied early in this stage, it promotes strong root and stolon development, setting the foundation for tuber formation.
4. Tuber Initiation & Bulking (Weeks 8-15)
- Objective: Maximize the number, size, and dry matter content of tubers.
- Key Practices: Second/final earthing up, shifting fertilizer to Potassium (SOP) for bulking, ensuring consistent moisture.
- Challenges: Late blight (the most destructive disease), tuber moths, increased pest pressure, nutrient demands.
Murphy Chemicals Recommendations:
- Late Blight Management: Murphy Triziman 690WP (Propineb + Cymoxanil) or Victory 72WP. Critical and preventative spraying is essential, especially in cool, wet highland conditions. Rotate products with different modes of action to prevent resistance.
- Broad-Spectrum Pest Control: Murphy Escort 19EC (Emamectin Benzoate). Effective against potato tuber moth larvae and other caterpillars that can damage both foliage and tubers.
- Foliar Nutrition for Bulking: Murphy Biozone Flower® or Folixol®. These foliar feeds supply crucial Potassium, Phosphorus, and micronutrients like Boron and Zinc to enhance tuber bulking, size, and skin set.
5. Maturation & Pre-Harvest (Weeks 15-18)
- Objective: Allow tubers to mature, develop firm skins (suberize) for storage, and manage canopy senescence.
- Key Practices: Stop irrigation 1-2 weeks before harvest; may apply desiccant if needed; observe strict Pre-Harvest Intervals (PHI).
- Challenges: Late blight infection of tubers at harvest, thin skins leading to bruising, residue compliance.
Murphy Chemicals Recommendations:
- Final Disease Protection: A final application of a systemic fungicide like **Murphy **Victory 72WP** (observing its PHI) helps protect tubers during harvest from blight spores.
- Vine Desiccation (if practiced): Murphy Codex 860EW can be used as a haulm desiccant to dry vines, making harvesting easier and promoting skin set. This must be done strictly as per label recommendations for this specific use.
- PHI Compliance: The most critical step. All chemical applications must cease according to the specific product’s PHI (often 7-21 days before harvest) to ensure tuber residues are within safe limits for consumption.
Critical Considerations for Kenyan Potato Farmers
1. Integrated Disease & Pest Management (IDPM): Agrochemicals are part of a strategy. Mandatorily rotate potatoes with non-host crops (e.g., cereals, legumes), use certified seed, destroy crop residues, and monitor fields weekly.
2. Resistance Management: Alternate fungicides with different FRAC codes (e.g., between **Milthion/Victory** and other non-Murphy products like chlorothalonil) to delay late blight resistance.
3. Soil Health: Base fertilizer applications on soil test results. Incorporate well-decomposed organic manure to improve soil structure and water retention.
4. Safe Use & Procurement: Always wear PPE. Purchase **Murphy Chemicals** products only from **licensed agrovets** to guarantee authenticity and efficacy. Consult with Murphy agronomists or extension officers.
5. Post-Harvest: Harvest carefully to avoid bruising. Cure tubers in a shaded, well-ventilated place for 10-14 days before storage or sale to heal wounds and reduce rot.
By adhering to this stage-specific management plan and incorporating high-quality, reliable products from Murphy Chemicals Kenya within a holistic farm management system, potato farmers can achieve significant yield increases, produce market-preferred tubers, and enhance their profitability and contribution to national food security.
