[jambop]

 
OK just a straightforward question does this process in anyway make a difference to the potatoes you harvest ? I know this must have been asked so many times but does it make any tangible difference? I am not interested in getting potatoes two weeks earlier or anything like that all I want to know is ,what are the benefits other than time of harvest... getting potatoes two weeks earlier than not chitting is nonsense to me I am not a farmer.   

[JayG]

Seed potatoes appear in the shops in late January which is far too early to plant them outdoors in the UK, so chitting is the best way of keeping them in good condition and making sure they hit the ground with a slight head start when you do plant them.

There is a potential benefit to gaining a couple of weeks - the earlier they're ready the better the chance they will avoid the dreaded blight.

[mumofstig]

I think the evidence was that it meant earlies were earlier, because of the head-start they got from chitting - but it made no difference to maincrops.
My maincrop seed spuds are still in the bottom of the fridge