What caliber of potatoes are there (table) and what does it mean?

There are more than 5,000 varieties of potatoes. They come in early, medium and late ripening. Each is unique in its vitamin and mineral composition and nutritional value.

For the convenience of sorting potatoes, a special indicator is used - caliber. It allows you to conveniently distribute vegetables for later use.

What is potato caliber?

According to GOST 7176-2017 “Wood potatoes. Technical specifications" potato tubers are calibrated - that is, sorted by size.

What happens

The smallest caliber is less than 3. This means that the transverse diameter of the tuber is up to 30 mm. Such potatoes are called small; they are used as animal feed and used to produce starch.

Large caliber is designated 6+. Large tubers are in demand in the food industry.

What does caliber 4, 5, etc. mean?

Well-selling and sought-after potatoes have calibers of 4+, 5+, 6+.

The average size is 40 and 50 mm in diameter, respectively, these are tubers with caliber 4+ and 5+.

Large potatoes has a size of 60 mm and larger, caliber - 6+.

Potato size table

How is it determined

Potatoes are stored in equipped vegetable storage facilities until the next harvest. Before being placed in boxes and containers, it is sorted by size.

To do this, use a special installation for sorting and calibrating vegetable products by size up to four fractions.Three sets of frames with cell sizes - small, medium, large - are fixed to the calibrator frame using special clamps.

The largest potatoes - sorted - end up on outfeed conveyors and in separate containers. The rest of the products passes along the conveyor belt and enters the calibrator. An additional option involves a mesh holder for each fraction. Tubers of the same size are packed in one bag.

According to the standard, potato size is determined using a caliper or square gauge.

The largest transverse diameter is measured with a caliper. Allows an error of ± 1 mm.

Square gauge holes have dimensions:

• 28 and 55 mm - for varieties with an elongated tuber shape;
• 55 and 60 mm - for round oval shape.

Why is this indicator needed?

Small tubers are used for feed and for starch production.

Tubers of caliber 4+, 5+ go on sale.

Companies that purchase potatoes have certain requirements for their products. Each vegetable is given a characteristic with a description - a “quality card”.

The requirements for purchasing potatoes are as follows:

1. Caliber. Tubers are not smaller than the stated size.
2. External characteristics. The vegetable is dry, without eyes and sprouts, without mechanical damage, the shape of the tubers is even, the color of the peel is not green.
3. Internal characteristics. No signs of rotting, no black voids.
4. Availability of a quality certificate.

Catering establishments - canteens, cafes, restaurants - place even greater demands on the quality of vegetables.

What is important when purchasing potatoes:

1. Variety. To prepare dishes, you need different varieties: crumbly, suitable for frying, deep-frying, etc.
2. Size - size of potato.Different ways of cutting vegetables are possible at a certain size. To prepare salads and side dishes, you need tubers of different sizes.
3. Starch content. For potato puree - varieties with high content. For salads and side dishes, firm flesh and low starch content are important.
4. External and internal characteristics.
5. Certificate of quality.

For what purpose is the calibration standard established:

• tubers of the same size are easier and faster to pack;
• transportation is associated with lower costs and losses;
• vegetables of the same size have a more attractive presentation;
• makes storage and care easier.

How to grow large-sized potatoes

To grow large potatoes, certain rules are followed.

Variety selection

Several varieties are taken for planting in order to determine after harvesting which one produces the largest harvest under the conditions of a particular site.

Tuber preparation

Tubers are disinfected before planting. There are two methods: sprayed or soaked in a solution of copper sulfate, potassium permanganate, and ash.

An incision is made on each tuber. It stimulates the appearance of a large number of shoots and increases productivity by 15%. The cuts are made ring-shaped or transverse. They activate the germination of eyes. If possible, cut tubers are left in a warm room for up to 30 days. Then the eyes germinate faster, and the tubers take root better in the ground.

Site requirements

Plantings are located from north to south - this allows you to make the most of daylight hours.

Watering

Regular watering is important during the flowering period of the plant. At this time, tubers are formed that need water.

Feeding

Fertilizing is necessary to obtain large-caliber tubers.

First feeding done during leaf growth. Pale green sprouts serve as a signal that the plant needs additional nutrition. Proportions: mullein - 0.5 l, bird droppings - 1 tbsp. l., urea - 1 tbsp. l., water - 10 l. One bush requires about 0.5 liters of solution.

Second time The bushes are fed before the formation of buds. Organic and inorganic additives are used. Example composition: a glass of wood ash, 1 tbsp. l. potassium sulfate, a bucket of water.

Last supplementary meal give to potatoes during flowering. During this period, the tubers ripen, so the plant needs increased nutrition. Feeding done 6-7 days after mass flowering. Composition of the solution: superphosphate - 2 tbsp. l., chicken droppings or mullein in the consistency of gruel - 1 glass, water - 10 l. The components are mixed and 500 ml are poured under the bush.

If potatoes grow over large areas, then dry fertilizers are used: superphosphate, potassium sulfate, etc.

Cleaning

Digging time depends on the variety. In favorable climatic conditions, early varieties are dug up twice. The main thing is to dig up the first harvest on time and correctly. To do this, carefully, without tearing it out of the ground, dig up the bush and remove the mature tubers. Plant the plant in its original place, water and hill up. Closer to autumn, the second harvest is harvested.

Conclusion

The caliber of a potato is its size. It depends on the variety and the conditions in which it was grown.

The smallest caliber is 3. This means that the transverse diameter of the tuber is less than 30 mm. Such potatoes are used in livestock farming for livestock feed and in the food industry to produce starch.

Calibers 4+ and 5+ are in demand in trade. It is purchased for sale in food chains. Gauge 6+ is suitable for catering establishments.Large tubers are convenient for preparing side dishes and are in demand in the production of chips and semi-finished French fries.