Brazil: The winter potato harvest begins in late May in Cristalina.

To date, Cristalina (GO) has completed 60% of the planting of its dry/winter potato crop. The activity began in February and is expected to be completed by early July. Harvesting should begin by the end of May, as planned.

The higher temperatures in February did not delay planting, but should be reflected in slightly lower productivity and quality of the first crops to be harvested.

Due to the heat and drier climate, physiological problems have been reported in some crops. The weather conditions also increased the incidence of whiteflies and pinworms, although these are well controlled. Scab was another phytosanitary problem reported by producers, but without severe damage.

Despite the limited rainfall until March, the plants’ water requirements were met through irrigation. In mid-April, it rained slightly more than usual for the season, which sometimes made planting difficult. Cristalina’s table potato acreage increased slightly compared to last year.