There can be very marked differences between yields of different plantings of a potato, depending on the cultivar selected, and on the environmental conditions prevailing during the growth of the crop.

Even larger differences in yield between potato can be ascribed to the cultural practices applied, and to the relative expertise of the individual growers.

Certain farmers consistently achieve good yields of potatoes others produce poor. This difference in the ability of growers importance with potato crops, which are grown intensively.

Expected yields from commercial plantings of some potatoes crops can be listed underthree headings:

The conservative yield:

The “conservative” yield is that obtained from a relatively poor crop, and is frequently note conomical to produce, unless particularly high prices are realised.

The likely yield:

The “likely” yield is that achieved from the majority of plantings by the average grower.

The target yield:

The figures are those that a good grower could realistically achieve in practice. These are not considered to be the potential yields of the prospective crops. For example, the target figure for potato mnandi variety is given as 45 to 63 tons per hectare. Yields of over 63 tons per hectare have been achieved by some growers, even from large plantings, and certain trial plots have yielded more per hectare.