Monday, June 23, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

How to grow potatoes easily

Published 9 April 2023
– By Editorial Staff
There are about 2500 different potato varieties in the world.
5 minute read

Spring has arrived and soon it is time to grow potatoes. Potatoes are not only a versatile food but also easy to grow without access to land or even a garden.

The potato is an often underrated food that sometimes gets a bad rap because of its high carbohydrate content, which many diets argue against eating. However, many argue that the body actually needs these carbohydrates and potatoes also contain nutrients such as vitamin C, potassium and vitamins B3 (niacin) and B6.

It is also a relatively cheap food to buy, but has recently increased in price like many other things. Thankfully, it’s not difficult to grow yourself and you don’t need a field-sized plot to grow a bunch of your own.

Difference between north and south

Exactly when it is time to start growing potatoes differs depending on where you live. Generally speaking, potatoes are planted in mid-April in the south of Sweden and in mid-May in the north. The soil needs to be warm enough before the potatoes are planted. Setting them down too early can increase the risk of disease.

Varieties to choose from

There are about 2500 different potato varieties in the world and about 100 of them are grown in Sweden. For simplicity, they can be divided into three categories.

  • Fresh potatoes. Fast-growing varieties often eaten at midsummer. Examples include Arrow, Maria or Rocket. These cannot be stored and should be eaten freshly harvested.
  • Summer and fall (early) potatoes. Should preferably not be stored for a longer period, but eaten in the fall. Examples include Ukama, Princess and Maris Bard.
  • Autumn and winter potatoes. These can be stored for a longer period of time. Examples include Annabell, King Edward and Folva.

If you have the opportunity, it’s best to grow a little bit of each type to have access to fresh potatoes during the summer and fall and to be able to store them during the winter.

Potato plants. Photo: Local Food Initiative/CC BY 2.0

Start in the right way

Start by buying seed potatoes. Do not let the potatoes from the supermarket sprout and plant them as there is a risk of them carrying diseases. Instead, buy so-called certified seed, in other words, seed potatoes that are approved and thus safe to grow on. Once you have bought your seed potatoes at home, you can place them on trays or in egg cartons in a bright room to grow for a few weeks, which gives a faster harvest. So remember to buy your seed potatoes a few weeks in advance.

A seed potato should be about five centimeters long, but if you buy larger ones you can also split them. Let the cut surface dry for a few hours beforehand and make sure that both sides have sprouts. The soil should preferably be lean and well-drained, and some say it’s good to add sand to the soil, but it’s not essential. It is also a good idea to fertilize the soil before planting, according to Land magazine.

If you have access to making a potato field, or already have one, that’s great. However, contrary to what many people think, it is not a must. In fact, there are several different ways to grow potatoes, even if you can’t be bothered to dig or even buy a pallet collar.

  • In a pot. Make sure that there are holes in the bottom and put pebbles, or LECA, in the bottom. Perfect for the balcony but requires more watering than planting directly into the ground.
  • In a box. It doesn’t have to be a perfect pallet collar, but some kind of box built from anything. It can also be used as a kind of compost bin where you can throw in various garden waste which then becomes new soil.
  • In a garbage bag. Use an empty soil bag or large garbage bag and make a few holes in the bottom. When it’s time to harvest, you can easily cut open the bag and the potatoes will fall out.
  • Directly on the ground. For those who want to minimize effort, you can throw out some seed potatoes in a place you do not use, throw over old leaves or straw, for example, so that it covers properly from the sun. Then gradually continue to throw over weeds and the like if the potatoes emerge. The grass underneath will have died in the fall and it will then be easy to make a growing bed on the site.

How densely you should plant the potatoes varies slightly and depends on the land and growing technique. In general, fresher varieties require less space, around 20-30 centimeters, and later varieties more, up to 60 centimeters. The longer the distance, the less risk of late blight.

Water and maintain an even humidity throughout the growing season. You may also need to top up the soil as you do not want the potatoes to be exposed to the sun. The sun turns potatoes green and causes them to develop the toxic substance solanine.

Photo: Terrie Schweitzer/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

When the potatoes are ready

When the potatoes are ready varies, of course, depending on the variety. Generally speaking, fresh potatoes should be harvested when the leaves are green and winter potatoes should be left in the ground longer until the leaves have withered, which gives them a thicker skin and a longer shelf life. It usually takes about three months from planting to first harvest, but it can be done in less time. The best thing to do is to put your hand down and feel for yourself how big the potatoes are. If they feel small, you can wait a few weeks and then check again.

Storage

A root cellar is ideal, but it is also possible to store potatoes in the cellar or garage in a box or paper bag that does not let light in, as long as there is no frost. You can also make a hutch or overwinter them in the soil.

Do not throw away any green potatoes, but save them separately and use them to make your own seed potatoes for the next season. If you didn’t get any green ones, you can still save potatoes for planting, both early and late varieties. However, do not save any that are infected and let them dry for a while before putting them in a box or paper bag. In spring, you can take them out and put them in a bright place in order to liven them up.

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Chimpanzees caught on camera sharing alcoholic fruit

Published 14 June 2025
– By Editorial Staff
2 minute read

For the first time, wild chimpanzees have been documented eating and sharing fruit containing alcohol. The research team speculates that this behavior could be described as an early evolutionary stage of “feasting”.

Researchers from the University of Exeter in England set up ten separate cameras with motion sensors in a national park in Guinea-Bissau in West Africa. There, they captured chimpanzees sharing the fermented fruit Treculia africana. The fruit contained an alcohol content of up to 0.61 percent. The behavior raises questions about whether and why chimpanzees consciously seek out alcohol.

– For humans, we know that drinking alcohol leads to a release of dopamine and endorphins, and resulting feelings of happiness and relaxation, said Anna Bowland, one of the researchers behind the study, in a press release, continuing:

We also know that sharing alcohol – including through traditions such as feasting – helps to form and strengthen social bonds. So – now we know that wild chimpanzees are eating and sharing ethanolic fruits – the question is: could they be getting similar benefits?

The amount observed is probably not enough to get the chimpanzees drunk, but the researchers estimate that the filmed episodes only provide a small glimpse into how much fermented fruit the animals eat in a day, as their diet consists of 60-85 percent fruit.

Researchers believe that more research is needed into why chimpanzees eat fermented fruit together, but speculate that the behavior may represent an early evolutionary stage of “feasting”.

Chimps don’t share food all the time, so this behaviour with fermented fruit might be important, says Dr. Kimberley Hockings of the University of Exeter. “If so, it suggests the human tradition of feasting may have its origins deep in our evolutionary history”.

Bats “surf” the winds to power their migration

Published 7 June 2025
– By Editorial Staff
2 minute read

Bats use the warm fronts of storms to “surf” as they migrate, research shows. This way, they use less energy and can fly longer distances.

The greater noctule bat is Sweden’s largest bat species, with a wingspan of 30 to 45 centimeters. The species also lives in Finland. Like birds, bats migrate thousands of kilometers annually across North America, Europe, and Africa. Now, researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (MPI-AB) have studied 71 greater noctule bats during their approximately 1,600-kilometer-long spring migration across the European continent. Using sensors, the researchers were able to measure the bats’ activity levels as well as the air temperatures in which they were flying.

The researchers discovered that the bats often paused during their flights but could travel as far as 400 kilometers in a single night breaking the previous distance record for the species. The bats interrupted their migration flights with frequent stops, likely because they needed to feed continuously.

– Unlike migratory birds, bats don’t gain weight in preparation for migration, explains Dina Dechmann of MPI-AB, one of the authors of the study, in a press release. They need to refuel every night, so their migration has a hopping pattern rather than a straight shot.

Furthermore, an interesting pattern emerged in the bats’ migration. On some nights, more bats chose to fly than on others, which turned out to be weather-dependent. The bats began flying on nights when air pressure dropped and temperatures rose in other words, when storms were approaching. The sensors on the transmitters measuring activity levels also showed that the bats used less energy when flying on these warm, windy nights. After further analysis, it became clear that the bats were using the warm winds during storms to “surf”.

– They were riding storm fronts, using the support of warm tailwinds, says Edward Hurme, a researcher at MPI-AB. It was known that birds use wind support during migration, and now we see that bats do too.

The results of the study are important for the survival of bats, say researchers. Migrating bats are threatened by human activities, especially wind turbines which cause many collisions. Knowing where and when bats migrate can help prevent deaths.

– We can be stewards of bats, helping wind farms to turn off their turbines on nights when bats are streaming through, says Hurme.

Swedes earn money clearing invasive species

Biodiversity

Published 28 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Large-leaved lupines are beautiful - but highly invasive.
1 minute read

Through a mobile game, individuals can “play” by heading out into nature, removing invasive plants, and even getting paid for their efforts. This year, seven Swedish municipalities are testing the game.

The Crowdsorsa mobile game has been used in Finland for three consecutive years, where last year it removed invasive plants from 7000 observations. It is also available in Canada.

This year, the municipalities of Hagfors, Örebro, Sunne, Karlsborg, Lilla Edet, Tanum and Falun are trying it out. The idea is that individuals find invasive plants, either via the map in the app or by themselves, remove them and get paid. As proof, they must film before and after clearing.

The total budget for this year in Sweden is SEK 126,000 (€11,600), which individuals can “play” for. At most, you can earn SEK 200 (€18.5) per hour, with the municipality responsible for paying out the reward.

“Fun way to work”

Last year, it was also successfully used in Hagfors and Örebro. In Hagfors, a total of 17 different teams played.

– The players did a great job! We think it’s a fun way to work with invasive alien species and an effective way to reach the public – and especially young people – with knowledge about invasive species, says municipal ecologist Katarina Karlsson in Hagfors municipality to Natursidan.

Invasive species often spread quickly and can displace native species, which in turn can damage the ecosystem. The game starts already in June, where, among other things, large-leaved lupine, Himalayan balsam and Canadian goldenrod will be removed.

Lion population growing in India

Published 25 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
An Asiatic lion cub waiting for food.
2 minute read

Asian lions have seen a strong resurgence in India in recent years. A new count shows that the population has increased by over 30 percent in just five years.

The number of Asian lions in the state of Gujarat in western India has risen from 674 individuals in 2020 to 891, according to the latest official count (May 10–13, 2025), reports The Independent. This represents an increase of 32 percent.

The lions live mainly in and around Gir National Park – the only area in the world where this subspecies of lion exists in the wild.

The new figure was recently announced by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

The number of lions in the state has gradually increased not just because of favorable geography and climate, but due to our government’s consistent and careful approach to wildlife conservation, said Patel.

Growing population

Over the past decade, the population has grown steadily, and lions have now spread to eleven districts in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, where they can be observed in forests, grasslands, agricultural areas, and even coastal areas.

Of the 891 individuals, 196 are adult males, 330 are adult females, 140 are young adults (sub-adults), and 225 are cubs, according to state government figures.

Gujarat attributes the success to several efforts: regular monitoring, enhanced veterinary care, water and feed resources in the wild, and programs to reduce conflicts between humans and predators.

Drones, sensors, and camera traps are also used in an extensive monitoring network.

Vulnerability remains

Despite the increase, however, the lions remain vulnerable. The species is classified as vulnerable on the international red list, and threats include genetic inbreeding, diseases that can spread rapidly in the densely concentrated population, and fires and floods in the Gir Forest.

Sanjeev Kumar, Chief Secretary for Forest and Environment in Gujarat, explains.

The holding capacity of national park and sanctuaries will be increased by intervention and habitat improvement. There is still scope of increasing the holding capacity and the forest and environment department is working in that direction.

Gujarat has previously opposed proposals to transplant parts of the population to other parts of India, including the state of Madhya Pradesh, which has led to debate within the country’s environmental movement.

Asian lions (Panthera leo persica) are genetically and physically distinct from their African relatives. They are slightly smaller in size, have shorter manes in males, and live in smaller prides.

FACTS: Gir National Park

  • Location: Located in the state of Gujarat, western India
  • Established: 1965 (as a national park; the reserve was established earlier, in 1913)
  • Area: Approximately 1,412 square kilometers (including the national park and adjacent wildlife sanctuary)
  • Purpose: To preserve the last wild population of Asiatic lions (Panthera leo persica)
  • Ecosystem: Dry deciduous forest, savannah, and scrub forest with semi-desert elements
  • Animal species: In addition to Asiatic lions, there are leopards, spotted hyenas, Indian crocodiles (mugger crocodiles), axis deer (chital), sambar deer, and over 300 bird species
  • Threats: Forest fires, drought, genetic inbreeding, disease, and human impact such as habitat loss and conflicts with humans

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