‘Atlantic’ and ‘Dakota Pearl’ Chipping Potato Responses to Glyphosate and Dicamba Simulated Drift

Field trials were conducted to determine the effects of glyphosate and/or dicamba simulated drift rates on chipping potatoes ‘Atlantic’ and ‘Dakota Pearl’. Sublethal herbicide rates were applied at the tuber initiation stage and consisted of dicamba at 99 g ae ha−1 or glyphosate at 197 g ae ha−1 applied alone or the combinations of dicamba at 20 or 99 g ae ha−1 and glyphosate at 40 or 197 g ae ha−1, respectively. At 7 days after treatment (DAT), the high spray combination of glyphosate plus dicamba resulted in the greatest plant damage (28%). Plant injury from plants treated with the low combination of glyphosate plus dicamba did not differ from the nontreated control. At 21 DAT, visible injury increased to 40% for plants treated with the high combination of glyphosate plus dicamba treatment. Total yield suggested that dicamba and glyphosate caused similar yield reductions as plants that received glyphosate at 197 g ha−1 or dicamba at 99 g ha−1 had lower total yields compared to the nontreated and plants that received the combination of glyphosate (197 g ha−1) and dicamba (99 g ha−1) had lower total yields compared to plants that received either herbicide alone. However, ‘Dakota Pearl’ plants were more sensitive to glyphosate at 197 g ha−1 than ‘Atlantic’ causing the interaction for most tuber grades. Tuber specific gravity was lower for plants that received glyphosate at 197 g ha−1, dicamba at 99 g ha−1, or this combination, but this reduction would not prevent chip processing. Results reinforce the need for diligence when applying these herbicides in proximity to a susceptible crop such as chipping potatoes and the need to thoroughly clean sprayers before applications to a sensitive crop.

Effects of Irrigation Management on Chipping Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Production in the Upper Midwest of the U.S.

Irrigation is required for profitable commercial potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production. Excessive or deficit soil water availability during the growing season can have adverse effects on tuber yield, quality, and storability. A field study was conducted during the 2018 and 2019 field and storage seasons in Central Wisconsin, a region in the U.S. with a high volume of potato production, to evaluate the impacts of different irrigation rates on three chipping potato varieties, Hodag, Lamoka, and Snowden. The treatments were implemented during the late-tuber bulking and tuber maturation growth stages, and consisted of irrigation at 125%, 100%, 75%, and 50% of crop evapotranspiration (ET). Irrigation before the treatment period was at 100%ET for all plots. With the industry standard irrigation practice being at 100%ET, other treatments were designated as over-irrigation or deficit irrigation. The impact of these watering rates on tuber yield and quality was evaluated at harvest, and tuber storage quality was assessed by measuring chip fry color and sugar concentrations at 0, 4, and 8 months of storage. It was found that compared to the standard practice, the over-irrigation treatment at 125%ET when tubers reached late bulking resulted in no significant increase in total yield, marketable yield, tuber quality at harvest and during storage, as well as reduced irrigation efficiency (IE) and water-use efficiency (WUE). This treatment also increased nitrate leaching potential in both years. In comparison, deficit irrigation at 75%ET or even 50%ET during the late season had no impact on tuber growth, could increase IE and WUE in one of the two years, and showed reduced drainage. In both years, irrigation rate had no significant effects on hollow heart incidence, tuber specific gravity at harvest, and fry quality during the 8-month storage period. This study suggested that over-irrigation was not beneficial for potato production in Central Wisconsin of the U.S., and deficit irrigation during late tuber bulking and tuber maturation stages could potentially result in more sustainable water use while not penalizing tuber yield, quality and storability of chipping potatoes.

Yield Response of Determinate Chipping Potato to Artificial Defoliation

The relationship between canopy defoliation by insects and yield loss in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) has been extensively researched. However, detailed analysis of varieties with different properties and examination of methods of defoliation are still lacking. Absence of research results has led many producers to use a very conservative economic threshold (ET) of 10% defoliation in the management of insect defoliators. A series of leaf removal experiments was conducted on a determinate chipping variety of potato at different plant stages. In 2002, the highest levels of defoliation induced upon the plant canopy were 50, 30, and 75% for tuber initiation, full bloom, and plant maturity stages, respectively. In 2003, defoliation levels were increased to 70, 80, and 90% for tuber initiation, full bloom, and plant maturity, respectively. Total yield was unaffected, and no significant changes in market sized yield, or number of marketable tubers were observed at any growth stage in either year. Because the determinate variety showed remarkable ability to recover from substantial defoliation, two different methods of defoliation: hand cut (cutting the edge of leaves with scissors while avoiding the midrib) and hole punching (hole-punching leaf tissue [15.08-mm diameter] while avoiding midrib) were tested. Although total yield was unaffected, marketable yield and small potato yield were reduced, Thus, although defoliation methods must be considered, a 10% defoliation ET is exceedingly conservative and an ET of 60% for all stages of determinate chipping potato could be adopted by growers.

Current-Season Infection With Ordinary and Recombinant Strains of Potato virus Y Has Detrimental Effects on Chipping Potato Yield and Tuber Quality

Potato virus Y (PVY) is the most economically important virus infecting potatoes worldwide. Current-season spread of PVY occurs when aphids transmit the virus from infected to noninfected plants during the growing season. The impact of current-season PVY infection on yield and quality of chip processing potatoes is not well documented. In a replicated, greenhouse experiment conducted over 2 years, we measured the effect of current-season infection with four PVY strains (PVYO, PVYN-Wi, PVYNTN, and PVYN:O) on chip processing varieties Atlantic, Lamoka, and Snowden. PVY infection decreased yield and tuber specific gravity for some combinations of potato variety and virus strain but did not affect the appearance of chips including the prevalence of stem-end chip defects. This work suggests that current-season infection of chipping potatoes imposes a cost on producers and emphasizes the need for continued investment in seed certification and development of PVY-resistant cultivars.

University of Florida Potato Variety Trials Spotlight: Atlantic

This article introduces the potato variety, ‘Atlantic’, which was tested in trials at the University of Florida.’Atlantic’ is a white-skinned, chipping potato commonly cultivated in Florida and resealed as a white mutant of the USDA breeding program. This three-page fact sheet provides the general characteristics, season length and growth information, fertilization and planting instructions, as well as disease information for the potato variety, ‘Atlantic’. Written by Rodrick Z. Mwatuwa, Christian T. Christensen, and Lincoln Zotarelli, and published by the Horticultural Sciences Department. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1278

Seed Piece Spacing Adjustment for Florida Chipping Potato

Seed spacing directly affects crop revenue because the number of potato seeds planted determines the final plant population density. The analysis presented in this 5-page publication was extracted from a series of field trials that looked at improved potato plant arrangement in the field by adjusting seed piece spacing for Florida growing conditions. Written by Fernanda Souza Krupek, Steven A. Sargent, Peter J. Dittmar, and Lincoln Zotarelli and published by the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department, May 2018.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1317

Seed Piece Spacing for Spring Chipping Potato Cultivars in Florida

The cost of seed accounts for nearly 10% of the estimated production cost of chipping potato (Solanum tuberosum) production in Florida. Optimizing seed piece spacing can reduce costs without affecting potato yield. This study evaluated the effects of seed piece spacing on yield, quality, and economic revenue of chipping potato production in north Florida. A field experiment was conduct during the spring of 2013, 2014, and 2016 in Hastings, FL, with a split-plot randomized complete block design. In-row seed piece spacings of 10, 15, 20 (industry standard), 25, and 30 cm were assigned as the main plot and S. tuberosum potato cultivars (Atlantic, Harley Blackwell, and Elkton) as the subplots. Marketable tuber yield ranged between 10.8 and 15.2 Mg·ha−1 in 2013, 10.1 and 12.8 Mg·ha−1 in 2014, and 9.9 and 19.7 Mg·ha−1 in 2016. Overall lower yields in 2013 were due to three freeze events early in the season. Widening seed piece spacing resulted in a linear decrease in total and marketable yield in 2013 and 2014. Conversely, seed piece spacings of 10 and 15 cm showed lower marketable yields in 2016. There was no interaction between in-row spacing and cultivar in any year tested. Cultivars performed variably across years for total and marketable yield and specific gravity. Tuber specific gravity was unaffected by seed piece spacing, except in 2013, when 25 and 30 cm resulted in slightly higher values. There was no significant difference in total and marketable yield between the industry standard seed piece spacing 20 and 25 cm in any year. In-row spacing of 25 cm in 2013 and 30 cm seed piece spacing in 2014 and 2016 provided the greatest economic return. Net revenue can be increased by adjusting the in-row seed piece spacing from the commercial standard of 20 to 25 cm, which reduces production cost without negatively impacting yields.