Effect of physiological age on growth vigour of seed potatoes of two cultivars. 3. Effect on plant growth under controlled conditions

1987 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 423-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. B. A. Bodlaender ◽  
J. Marinus
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Physiological Age ◽  
Seed Potatoes ◽  
Controlled Conditions ◽  
Growth Vigour

Effect of altering the physiological age of potato seed-tubers in the fall on subsequent production in a short-season environment

1992 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 275-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Richard Knowles ◽  
Gabor I. Botar
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Harvest Index ◽  
Seed Tuber ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Russet Burbank ◽  
Physiological Age ◽  
Quadratic Model ◽  
Tuber Quality ◽  
Potato Seed ◽  
Seed Tubers

The efficacy of utilizing "controlled seed-tuber aging" as a technique to enhance yield and improve tuber quality in areas with relatively short growing seasons was investigated in a 3-yr study. Prior to planting in the field, five physiological ages of Russet Burbank, Carlton, Norchip and Superior seed-tubers were produced by varying the heat-unit accumulation over a 200-d storage interval. Total yield increases of up to 90% and substantial improvements in tuber grade were achieved by planting aged (600–900 degree-day (dd)) seed-tubers. Plant growth from aged Russet Burbank seed-tubers was modelled to identify the mechanisms by which yield and quality were altered. Growth analysis demonstrated that the age-induced yield increases were due to faster emergence, faster leaf-area establishment, and tuberization earlier in the growing season compared with that from younger seed-tubers. The annual life cycle was thus accelerated, allowing plants from older seed-tubers to utilize the short (120-d) growing season more efficiently than those from younger seed-tubers. This was reflected in a higher harvest index: plants from 739 dd seed-tubers partitioned 63% of their total fresh weight into tubers compared with 48% for those from 66 dd seed-tubers (based on the quadratic model describing the relationship between seed-tuber age and and harvest index at 121 d after planting). The technique appears to be very promising for enhancing yield and/or promoting ’earliness’ of potatoes in regions with short growing seasons.Key words: Solanum tuberosum, seed-tuber age, plant growth, yield

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