The Vitebsk Zonal Institute of Agriculture of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus was among the first in the region to commence potato harvesting.

Despite a dry year, the harvest of the "second bread" is good here.

As the chief agronomist of the enterprise, Dmitry Kovalenko, explained, this year, like the previous one, potatoes are harvested using own resources. Since the end of August, a potato harvester operated by tractor driver-machinist Alexander Terentyev has been working in the урочище with the potato variety Manifest. Two units of machinery are involved in transporting the harvest. The tubers are sent to the company's own potato storage, where they undergo initial cleaning, and then are rested and cooled in a chamber for 14-20 days. After the peel of the vegetable hardens and the eyes close, sorting will begin.

Tractor driver-machinist Dmitry Bulokhov and Dmitry Kovalenko are satisfied with the Manifest harvest. According to Dmitry Kovalenko, Manifest has proven to be the most productive in the current extreme weather conditions and sufficiently drought-resistant. Of the 42 hectares allocated for the "second bread" this year, this table variety of potato, which is ideal for frying and boiling, occupies exactly half, which is due to its high demand among the population. An average of 30 tonnes of tubers are harvested per hectare. Potato pancakes made from Manifest do not darken for up to 6 hours – verified by housewives! Seed material of domestic selection varieties such as Briz and Skarb is also in demand by buyers. On average, up to 300 tonnes of potatoes are sold to the population annually. The remaining part of the produce is bought by agricultural organizations, farmers, catering establishments, and educational institutions for their own needs.

In total, the Vitebsk Zonal Institute cultivates 11 varieties of Belarusian-bred potatoes in 7 reproductions.

Three new varieties are also being prepared for sale. Umka and Garantiya are awaiting their time in the institute's greenhouse complex, and the mid-early Mastak is in the preliminary propagation nursery. The Zonal Institute will be one of the first to market it in Belarus. This is planned for 2024. This autumn, the enterprise will sell potatoes of the Lel variety, which is ideal for making chips and French fries. This is a kind of domestic response to foreign analogues.

As noted by the Scientific Secretary of the Vitebsk Zonal Institute of Agriculture of NAS of Belarus, Oleg Ravbis, the staff are continuing other equally useful experiments. Two varieties of purple potatoes, developed specifically for therapeutic dietary nutrition and successfully presented during the traditional spring tasting, are currently undergoing the necessary trials. "It's good that the weather has absolutely no effect on the condition of the planting material in our greenhouse complex. Everything here depends solely on the human factor, timely and quality care for the plants, and we have no issues with this at the enterprise," says Oleg Ravbis. Harvest, preserve, process, and sell – these are the tasks set for the team regarding the "second bread" by the head of the Vitebsk Zonal Institute, Andrey Balysh. In parallel with potato harvesting, the enterprise is sowing winter crops and preparing the soil for them. Approximately 400 hectares of winter wheat, barley, rye, and triticale are yet to be sown, while the sowing of winter rapeseed was completed within the optimal timeframe. Very soon, the institute's fields will begin the buckwheat harvest. The climatic conditions in the Vitebsk region allow for its harvesting in late September – early October. By this time, the scientists are confident that the buckwheat will have reached the required maturity. In addition, the enterprise's agricultural workers are selectively harvesting spring rapeseed; as this crop matures, machinery is dispatched to the plots. This type of work is planned to be fully completed by September 15.

Source: vitebsk-region.gov.by