Use of plant extracts from healthy soybean and potato plants for treatments of plants of the same species

The present study proposes to evaluate extracts from shoots of healthy soybean and potato plants for the treatment of plants of the same species cultivated subsequently. Two experiments were thus conducted separately after the soybean and potato inoculum production phases. For soybean, the experiment was laid out in a randomized-block design with five treatments and four replications, in which the following treatments were tested: 1. absolute control without inoculum or pesticides; 2. farmer management with pesticides, without inoculum; 3. use of inoculum, without insecticides; 4. use of inoculum, without fungicides; and 5. use of inoculum, without pesticides. In the soybean crop, the tested inoculum improved plant development and, increased the potassium content of the plant tissue as well as yield. For the potato crop, a randomized-block statistical design was adopted with two treatments and ten replications, using varieties Ágata and Atlantic. The following treatments were tested: 1. absolute control without inoculum, with pesticides; and 2. use of inoculum (foliar spraying), with pesticides. With the use of inoculum, varieties Ágata and Atlantic showed distinct responses regarding disease incidence and yield. Late blight was the disease that most affected both varieties, but only Atlantic showed a reduction in its incidence when the inoculum was applied. Variety Atlantic also exhibited an increase in the most valued commercial calibers, besides an increase in yield, with the use of the tested inoculum. Cultivar Ágata showed a marked reduction in tuber defects with the use of the inoculum on the plants.

Impact of UV-C Irradiation of Potato Seed Tubers on the Defects in Potato Plant Crops

The purpose of the paper was to determine the impact of UV-C irradiation of seed potatoes on the formation of tuber defects in the progeny crop. The field experiment was carried out in 2016-2018, and the object of research was potato plants of the Vineta, Lord and Owacja varieties. Different heights of the UV-C radiator above the chamber bottom (40-100 cm) and exposure times (1-30 min.) were used. Data was analyzed with the STATISTICA 13.3 program, at the assumed significance level α = 0.05, using a non-parametric test χ2 for multidimensional contingency tables. In the scope of the parameters of the chamber for UV irradiation of plant material adopted in the experiment, no statistically significant UV-C effect on potato tuber defects was demonstrated. In the potato tuber crop of the examined varieties, shape deformations in the form of kidney and spindle disease were identified. The crop of potato obtained from seed potatoes irradiated with UV-C demonstrated a lower percentage of deformed tubers, as compared to the control combination.

University of Florida Potato Variety Spot Light: Red LaSoda

HS-1078, a 5-page illustrated highlight sheet by Chad M. Hutchinson, Doug Gergela, Tom Donovan, David Dinkins and Edsel Redden, summarizes production and quality results for Red LaSoda potatoes from the Red-Skinned, Fresh-Market university trials conducted over the past eight seasons. Includes tables with production statistics and specific gravity; yield, vine maturity, tuber characteristics, and internal tuber defects. Published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, July 2006.

Impact of Source and Timing of Calcium and Nitrogen Applications on `Atlantic' Potato Tuber Calcium Concentrations and Internal Quality

Three Ca sources and two application schedules were compared for their effectiveness for increasing tissue Ca concentrations in 170 to 284 g field-grown tubers of `Atlantic' potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). Additional observations were made of internal physiological defects. Paired measures of tissue (periderm and nonperiderm) Ca concentration and internal quality (±hollow heart, ±internal brown spot) were made on individual tubers produced in plots fertilized with N at 224 kg·ha-1 and Ca at either 0 or 168 kg·ha-1, supplied from either gypsum, calcium nitrate or NHIB (9N-0P-0K-11Ca, a commercial formulation of urea and CaCl2). Application of N and Ca at emergence and hilling (nonsplit) was compared to application at emergence, hilling, and 4 and 8 weeks after hilling (split). Tuber yield and grade were unaffected by treatments. Split Ca application (from either calcium nitrate or NHIB) increased mean tuber nonperiderm tissue Ca concentrations and the percentage of tubers with an elevated Ca concentration in both years compared with non-Ca-supplemented controls. Split Ca application also resulted in greater increases in Ca in nonperiderm tissue than nonsplit Ca application in 1994. Although the correlation coefficient between Ca level in periderm and nonperiderm tissue of >400 individual tubers was highly significant in both study years, linear regression analyses suggested the Ca level in the two tissues were poorly related. Split application was associated with a 37% reduction in the incidence of internal tuber defects, relative to nonsplit application in 1994. Calcium application did not affect tuber internal quality based on means analysis, but chi-square analysis suggested that Ca concentration and internal quality of individual tubers may be related. The incidence of internal defects was 16.4% in tubers with nonperiderm tissue Ca >100 μg·g-1 dry weight compared to 10.6% in tubers with nonperiderm tissue Ca >100 μg·g-1 dry weight. These data suggest that 1) it is feasible to increase tuber Ca levels by field applications of moderate amounts of Ca, 2) tuber quality is impacted by N and Ca application schedule, and 3) Ca concentrations in tuber periderm and nonperiderm tissues may be controlled independently.