Accumulated day-degrees as a measure of physiological age and the relationships with growth and yield in early potato varieties

1983 ◽  
Vol 101 (3) ◽  
pp. 613-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. O'Brien ◽  
E. J. Allen ◽  
J. N. Bean ◽  
R. L. Griffith ◽  
Susan A. Jones ◽  
...  

SUMMARYData from nine experiments from 1973 to 1981 which examined the effects of physiological age on sprout and field growth of early potato varieties are reported. Length of longest sprout per tuber and all aspects of field growth were related to number of daydegrees > 4 °C experienced by the seed after onset of sprout growth (measured as the appearance of a 3 mm sprout). It is, therefore, suggested that this scale is an effective measure of physiological age. In Home Guard and Maris Bard, increasing age of seed tubers resulted in earlier emergence and tuber initiation, larger early leaf areas and increased early tuber yields. As growth proceeded young seed produced the largest and most persistent leaf areas and the yields surpassed those of older seed and in some experiments yields decreased with increasing age at the final harvests.Optimum ages for specific harvesting periods were determined from regressions of tuber yield on age. In both varieties, they decreased with delay in harvesting. However, optimum ages differed in the two varieties and the implications for production and storage of seed and testing of varieties are discussed.

1979 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. J. Allen ◽  
J. N. Bean ◽  
R. L. Griffith ◽  
P. J. O'Brien

SummaryThree experiments carried out in 3 years (1973–5) which examined the effects of length of sprouting period and temperature of sprouting on growth and yield of three early potato varieties are described. In Home Guard in 1973 at the earliest harvests, tuber yields increased with increase in length and temperature of sprouting period. At later harvests tuber yields decreased with increase in sprouting period especially at the higher temperature (13 rather than 8 °C) and increasing the temperature of sprouting reduced tuber yield. In 1974 length of sprouting period had few effects on yield at any harvest and increasing the temperature increased yields only at the first harvest. In Vanessa cold storage at 3 °C prior to entry to sprouting temperatures induced an earlier onset of sprout growth than continuous exposure to temperatures conducive to sprout growth. Long sprouting periods produced less sprout growth and at the earliest harvest lower tuber yields than all except the shortest period. Judged from the onset of sprout growth increases in length and temperature of sprouting generally increased tuber yields especially at early harvests. In Pentland Javelin sprout growth was very slow and tuber yields at early harvests decreased at both sprouting temperatures if sprouting began after mid-November. At later harvests effects of both factors were small.The implications of differences in the effects of sprouting periods according to variety and, in Home Guard, season, are discussed in relation to the provision of the most desirable sprouting environment and to variety testing. The similarity in the effects of lengthening the sprouting period and of increasing the temperature of sprouting suggest that temperature is the major causal factor in sprout growth and its effect on field growth. Sprouting periods may therefore be measured most accurately by accumulated day degrees > 0 °C and a close relationship between such a scale and tuber yields is demonstrated. The relevance of such scales for advice to growers is discussed.Tuber growth rates for Vanessa and to a lesser extent Home Guard in 1974 were extremely high, in excess of 10 t/ha/week for Vanessa. These high rates were associated with high levels of radiation received by coastal sites in May and June and are discussed in relation to the canopy structure of the varieties.


1977 ◽  
Vol 89 (3) ◽  
pp. 711-735 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. J. Allen

SummaryFour experiments over 2 years which examined the effects of date of planting (from mid-March to early May) on the growth and yield of early, second early and maincrop potato varieties are described. In two experiments the seed used was physiologically old (heavily sprouted) and in the other two experiments relatively young seed (limited sprout development) was used. In the early variety, Home Guard, tuber yield at maturity was unaffected by delay in planting when physiologically old seed was used but increased leaf area and higher tuber yields resulted from later planting of younger seed. With both types of seed the maincrop varieties, Desirée and Maria Piper, produced larger leaf areas from later planting in one year but smaller leaf areas in the other year. In both years with both types of seed, tuber yields at the end of August were higher from the earlier plantings of these varieties. The physiologically young seed of Red Craig's Royal behaved in a similar manner to the maincrop varieties and the physiologically old seed behaved in a similar way to Home Guard.Any yield advantages of early varieties over maincrop varieties from any date of planting were small and short-lived and the physiological reasons for differences between varieties are discussed in the light of these results. It is suggested that the current classification of varieties is unjustified and that variety testing should take more account of the effects of physiological age.Tuber yields from the maincrop varieties were very high (60·80 t/ha) and this is attributed to the synchrony of leaf growth and increasing light receipts which may be readily achieved in the mild springs of W. Wales.


1991 ◽  
Vol 117 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. M. Firman ◽  
P. J. O'Brien ◽  
E. J. Allen

SUMMARYExperiments were conducted in controlled environment cabinets and in the field at Cambridge, UK, in 1987–90 and in Valencia, Spain 1989–90 with several varieties of potato. The initiation of leaf primordia and flowers was recorded in sprouts stored for long periods at 13°C with constant illumination and in sprouts exposed to different photoperiods and periods of cold storage. In field experiments, the effects of a wide range of planting dates, differences in physiological age, the time at which seed tubers were sprouted and of imposing an 8 h photoperiod were investigated.More than 40 leaf primordia were initiated in the sprouts of Home Guard and Arran Comet stored at 13 °C, but, in other varieties, fewer leaves were initiated. Flowers were initiated in the sprouts of some varieties. In field-grown plants, the number of nodes to the first flower differed between varieties and was increased by ageing sprouts before planting. Stems from physiologically old seed of all varieties had more nodes below ground than young seed but the number of aerial leaves to the first flower increased only slightly with increasing physiological age. The number of aerial leaves to the first flower was lower and less variable in Estima than in Maris Piper.Initiation of flowers usually occurred before tuber initiation and within two weeks of emergence but was earlier in some varieties than others. There was little influence of photoperiod on the time to initiation of flowers and tubers in most experiments but, with low levels of radiation, flowering was completely inhibited in the variety Maris Piper.


1985 ◽  
Vol 105 (2) ◽  
pp. 413-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. Wilcockson ◽  
E. J. Allen ◽  
R. K. Scott ◽  
D. C. E. Wurr

SUMMARYOver five growing seasons (1976–80) experiments were carried out using at least three contrasting sites per season to study the relationship between growing conditions and storage losses in Pentland Crown potatoes. Crops were harvested by hand and storage was carried out in a single environment over a period of 6–7 months without sprout suppressants. The range in growing conditions was great and reflected in the pattern of leaf growth and range in yields of the stored crops (30–90 t/ha). Crops from Tenby (S. W. Wales) produced the most consistent and frequently the highest yields and usually lost the least weight during storage. Although the range in total weight loss over all experiments was large from 5·4 to 16·3%, treatment effects were much smaller than in field growth and yield. Delaying the date of harvest usually increased weight loss and tubers harvested in early August stored at least as well as late-harvested tubers. Tubers harvested without prior defoliation stored as well as tubers harvested on the same day from crops defoliated at least 2 weeks previously. Lengthening the interval from defoliation to harvest usually increased weight loss in storage. Although the tubers were hand harvested effects on saleability were found at the end of storage and there was no evidence that earlier harvesting, which may involve some loss of field yield, would result in any loss of saleable yield out of store.The results provided no evidence to support the widely-held view that the suitability of a tuber for harvesting improves during maturation associated with natural or imposed crop senescence. It is therefore suggested that the use of the term maturity be avoided as it is wholly unhelpful in studies of the relationship between field growth and storage losses in potatoes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 779-797
Author(s):  
Kyenpiya E. Deshi ◽  
Moses O. Obasi ◽  
Ngozi I. Odiaka

Abstract This study was carried out in two seasons (2010–2011 and 2012–2013) in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria to investigate the growth and yield of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) seed tubers as affected by storage conditions and storage duration. Five potato varieties (“Nicola,” “Bertita,” “Diamant,” “BR63-18,” and “Roslin-Ruaka”) were stored for three durations (12, 24, and 32 weeks) in three kinds of stores (room temperature store [RTS], diffused light store [DLS], and air-conditioned store [ACS]). The experimental design was a split–split plot in a randomized complete block design with the potato varieties, storage conditions, and storage durations as the main, sub, and sub–sub plots, respectively. All the parameters assessed varied with variety except the plant height. Germination and establishment were significantly higher in ACS than in RTS and DLS. RTS and DLS resulted in more aboveground stems than ACS. Storage in ACS resulted in a significantly higher plant height, leaf number, total number and yield of tubers, and yield of saleable tubers in both seasons. Seed tubers stored for 24 weeks resulted in the highest establishment count and the mean number of aboveground stems in both seasons. Aboveground stems increased from 12 to 24 weeks of storage and declined at 32 weeks. Seed storage for 12 weeks resulted in the highest total number of tubers, whereas 32 weeks had the lowest number of tubers in both seasons. Seed storage for 12 and 32 weeks resulted in the highest yield of tubers in seasons 1 and 2, respectively. In conclusion, potato varieties varied greatly in the rate of physiological aging; hence, every variety required specific storage conditions and duration for optimal growth and yield.


1986 ◽  
Vol 107 (2) ◽  
pp. 307-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. O'Brien ◽  
J. L. Jones ◽  
E. J. Allen ◽  
G. S. M. Raouf

SummaryFour experiments are reported in which the effects of a range of physiological ages of seed tubers on growth and yield in seed crops and regrowth of the progeny seed were studied. Increasing the age of seed in Home Guard, Arran Comet, Pentland Javelin and Désirée advanced emergence, tuber initiation and early growth but restricted leaf area index and reduced the number of tubers and seed tuber yield. In these varieties increasing the physiological age of seed shortened the dormancy of the progeny seed and slightly increased sprout lengths at replanting but in Home Guard had no effects on field growth and tuber yield.In a further series of experiments at Tenby seed of five varieties (Home Guard, Red Craigs Royal, Désirée, Maris Piper and Stormont Enterprise) was multiplied over 2 years using husbandry methods designed to produce seed of contrasting ages. Once-grown seed from Tenby which had been planted and harvested early in the season was stored at either 4 or 12 °C and grown again at Tenby before being stored again at either 4 or 12 °C. The seed resulting from this multiplication over 2 years was compared with seed imported from seed-growing areas stored at the two temperatures. The seasons for the two multiplications at Tenby (1975 and 1976) were hot and were followed by an especially cold and late spring yet few differences between seed from Tenby and other areas could be detected. Where seed from different areas entered sprouting temperatures at different times and therefore produced different ages of seed at replanting large effects on yield were found. Storage temperature had large effects on regrowth of tubers in Home Guard, Red Craigs Royal and Stormont Enterprise for storage at 12 °C produced ‘little potato disorder’ in the majority of plants in one storage phase while storage at lower temperature produced full plant stands and yields. The results provided no support for the suggestion that repeated multiplication in warm lowland areas may lead to cumulative deterioration in the performance of seed.


2020 ◽  
pp. 31-38
Author(s):  
MARINA E. DIYKANOVA ◽  
◽  
ALEKSANDR G. LEVSHIN ◽  
IRINA N. GASPARYAN ◽  
NATALIA F. DENISKINA ◽  
...  

In the Moscoww region, frosts are quite probable to return until the fi rst decade of June. To protect potatoes from the returning cold weather, it is possible to use a temporary covering material in the “planting – seedling emergence” period. The authors have studied the use of covering materials on early potato varieties of Udacha, Zhukovsky early, Red Scarlet, Snegir’, and Meteor. Studies have been conducted on the test plot of the Vegetable Growing Department of Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy in 2017-2019. Non-woven white and black material of the same density of 17 g/m2 was used for covering. No covering was used in the check variant. The cultivation technology was standard,it included tillage (plowing, spring tillage, and cutting ridges before planting), as well as plant care (inter-row cultivation and hilling-up). Planting was carried out with a single-row potato planter. The earliest emergence of seedlings was observed under white covering material with a diff erence of 5-6 days in relation to the check variant. In the variant with a black covering material, the diff erence averaged 3-4 days. Due to covering, planting was carried out earlier than expected and the crop was formed by July 15. The interphase period between potato planting and seddling emergence decreased, while that from seddling emergence to harvesting increased, consequently, the yield increased by 11.6…14.7%. The maximum yield was obtained with the Red Scarlet variety using the white covering material, the minimum – in the check variant without covering. The same trend is typical for other varieties. It has been established that covering with any material has a positive eff ect on the duration of the potato growing season and the yield by increasing the period of tuberization. Covering allows getting early potato varieties 2 weeks earlier in the Moscow region.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (29) ◽  
pp. 3508-3521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaochen Jia ◽  
Mijanur R. Rajib ◽  
Heng Yin

Background: Application of chitin attracts much attention in the past decades as the second abundant polysaccharides in the world after cellulose. Chitin oligosaccharides (CTOS) and its deacetylated derivative chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) were shown great potentiality in agriculture by enhancing plant resistance to abiotic or biotic stresses, promoting plant growth and yield, improving fruits quality and storage, etc. Those applications have already served huge economic and social benefits for many years. However, the recognition mode and functional mechanism of CTOS and COS on plants have gradually revealed just in recent years. Objective: Recognition pattern and functional mechanism of CTOS and COS in plant together with application status of COS in agricultural production will be well described in this review. By which we wish to promote further development and application of CTOS and COS–related products in the field.


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