Effects of cement kiln dust on soil and potato crop quality

Cement kiln dust is a potential source of K and Ca for crops on acidic soils in Eastern Canada. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of cement kiln dust on soil chemical properties and potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Superior) yield and quality on two Spodosols. Four rates of cement kiln dust, commercial K fertilizers, and lime were yearly applied and arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Soil extractable K and Ca increased rapidly after cement kiln dust applications and were comparable to commercial fertilizers or lime treatments. Heavy metal soil contents and plant uptake were not influenced by treatments. Soil metal contents decreased from to initial soil levels and were lower than recommended maximal norms. Tuber yields increased with rates of cement kiln dust and commercial fertilizers but decreased with lime rates. Yields were positively correlated to soil extractable K and partially with extractable Mg. The K and Mg plant uptake increased with cement kiln dust and commercial fertilizers rates but was significantly reduced by liming. Tuber specific gravity decreased with the highest commercial fertilizers and cement kiln dust rates. These results showed that cement kiln dust is an effective source of K and Ca for potato production without short term loss in tuber quality or soil contamination by metals.     

The effect of different levels of additional potassium on yield and industrial qualities of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) in an irrigated arid region

Soils and irrigation waters in Saudi Arabia are naturally rich in potassium (K). In spite of this, farmers and large-scale agricultural companies usually add K fertilizers to various crops without soil and water testing and whether or not the crop requires high amount of K. The objective of these experiments was to study the response of fresh tuber yield, specific gravity, and frying quality of processed potato to different levels of additional K under farmer conditions. Two field experiments were conducted during the 2000–2001 and 2001–2002 growing seasons in Wadi Addawasir (latitude 20–21 N, longitude 45–46 E), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The experimental layout was a randomized complete block design with five K levels (0-100 kg K₂O ha^-1) and four replicates. Water and soils in this region contained more than 10 and 200 ppm K, respectively. Results indicated that there were no statistical differences (P<0.05) between the levels of K on fresh tuber yield, specific gravity, or frying quality. Similarly, K content of leaves at 45 or 60 days after emergence and of tubers at harvest was not significantly affected (P<0.05) by K rates. Potassium content in leaves was above optimum level. Results of this study indicated that current application rates of K are higher than the potato crop requirement for optimum yield obtained in this region. Results also indicated that farmers’ basic application of 215 kg K₂O ha^-1 along with soil native K and irrigation water K were sufficient to produce economic yield and high-quality potatoes.     

Growth responses,cooking quality determinations,and leaf nutrient concentrations of potatoes as related to exchangeable calcium,magnesium, and potassium in the soil

Field experiments were conducted during 1977 and 1978 to determine the relationship between percent exchangeable Ca, Mg, and K in the soil, and yield, quality, and leaf concentration of 11 elements for several potato cultivars. The highest yields were obtained in soil containing a combination of 5% Mg and 5% K of the cation exchange capacity. All cultivars grew equally well in the high Ca field as in the low Ca field. Potato scab was no problem. Potassium treatment levels had a consistent effect on yield, specific gravity, and chip color. Specific gravity decreased and chip color improved as the K treatment levels increased from 2 to 8% of the CEC. Leaf elemental concentrations showed few consistent effects as a result of the Mg and K soil treatments.     

盐碱地马铃薯品种适应性研究

盐碱地对马铃薯的出苗、生长以及产量均有很大的影响。该试验采用轻盐碱和重盐碱２组设计，对马铃薯品种进行适应性鉴定，试图选出适应性强，表现好的优良种质，以解决青海省西部大部分盐碱地品种缺乏的问题。试验结果表明，品种间差异极显著，抗（耐）盐碱弱的品种出苗较差，甚至出苗后又因盐碱过重而死亡，而抗（耐）盐碱较强的品种，一旦出苗即能健壮生长。轻盐碱和重盐碱２组试验间的产量差异亦极显著，轻盐碱地的产量明显高于重盐碱地。经筛选，青２９１４和固８２５无论在轻盐碱地或重盐碱地均表现高产。     

Potato chip color,specific gravity and fertilization of potatoes with N−P−K

The effects of fertilizers on potato chip color were studied over a period of 11 years. Yield and specific gravity data also were taken. Single element and compete fertilizers were used in randomized block and split plot experiments. Most of the work was done with the Russet Burbank variety but in some experiments the Kennebec, White Rose, Norgold Russet and Cascade varieties were also included. Specific gravity and chip color data were taken immediately after harvest. Effects of storage and reconditioning on chip color were recorded in some cases. Though statistically significant effects of N?P?K on chip color were found, the differences were small and of no commercial importance. Neither nutrient balance nor total amount of fertilizer used greatly affected chip color whether the tubers were harvested “immature” in July or in October after the vines were dead. The greatest effect of over-fertilization was on the specific gravity of the tubers. As amount of fertilizer applied increased, specific gravity often decreased which would reduce the amount of processed product per unit of fresh produce. Since most manufacturers of processed potatoes prefer high specific gravity tubers perhaps varieties should be grown specifically for the processing industry. Since proper fertilization did not have a commercially important effect on chip color but greatly increased the yield, farmers should fertilize for maximum production when growing potatoes for potato chips.     

Effect of antitranspirants on yield of Norgold Russet potatoes under greenhouse and field conditions

Antitranspirants (AT) were applied to greenhouse, field research plots and commercial plantings of Norgold Russet potato plants. In the greenhouse AT (Folicote and Vapor Gard) reduced water uptake by plants by 20–40%. In field trials at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Halfway, similar concentrations increased yield of Norgold Russet potatoes by 21–45 cwts per acre (2352–5040 kg/ha). In a commercial trial on 20 acres of potatoes, 2% Folicote applied 5 and 3 weeks prior to vine kill increased total yield by 47 cwts per acre (5264 kg/ha) and increased yield of premium grade potatoes by 100%. Gross crop value at harvest was increased $500 per acre ($1125/ha). Significantly higher soil moisture levels existed in soils of treated plots between irrigations.     

Effects of fertilizer on yield and quality of Norland potatoes in northeastern Saskatchewan

Fertilizer combinations designed to study the effects of phosphorus, potassium and sulfur on yield, early tuber yields, and quality of potatoes were tested in each of three consecutive years at two sites in northeastern Saskatchewan. Yield responses to fertilizers varied from 0 to 136 cwt/acre and averaged 73 cwt/acre. Phosphorus fertilizer requirements of potatoes were lower for the Nipawin soil type (0–35 lb P/acre) than for the Melfort soil (35–140 lb P/acre) and were related to available phosphorus levels in the soil. Fertilizer containing potassium (50 lb K/acre) consistently increased early tuber yields at both sites. Yields of potatoes harvested at maturity were significantly increased by potassium at Nipawin. At Melfort, potassium fertilizer did not increase yields when potatoes were harvested at maturity. Over-fertilization with nitrogen reduced early tuber yields at Nipawin on two occasions. All fertilizer combinations significantly reduced specific gravity of potatoes, compared to the unfertilized checks. Increasing the rates of phosphorus and adding potassium generally decreased specific gravity. These effects were, however, not significant in the three-year averages. Differences in specific gravity of up to 0.006 were not reflected in overall quality ratings for boiled or baked potatoes. The addition of sulfur from gypsum did not affect early yield, final yield, or specific gravity at either site.     

Continuation of cropping sequence studies on coarse textured soils in southeastern Idaho

A potato cropping rotation study was initiated on coarse textured soils in 1969 to compare annual cropping to potatoes with potato-grain rotations. At the completion of the 1975 season, those treatments annually cropped to potatoes had been planted to potatoes for seven consecutive years. After this period of time, total yields were reduced by 14% or 55 cwt/acre (6 T/ha) when compared to yields from potato-grain rotation treatments. Soil fumigation with 30 gpa (285 1/ha) of soil fumigant (Shell D-D) resulted in no beneficial effects on tuber yield or quality.     

Susceptibility to Pressure Flattening Correlates with Texture Analysis of Potato Tubers

The physiological disorder referred to as pressure flattening is a cause of significant economic losses in the storage of Irish potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) intended for use in the fresh market. As the flattened area on each tuber becomes larger in diameter or becomes more depressed the USDA quality grade, and therefore the market value of the potatoes is reduced. Experiments were conducted to identify at-harvest which potato lots within and among cultivars were likely to pressure flatten earlier or more severely. The use of an instrumented penetrometer or texture analyzer to measure peak load required for periderm deformation at harvest appears to anticipate correctly the majority of fields from which tubers are more likely to have severe pressure flattening at six months’ storage duration. At-harvest texture analysis appears to segregate varieties according to susceptibility to deformation based on cultivar specific factors that play a role in pressure flattening development during storage. The Pearson correlation coefficient (R²=0.5481) indicates that there is a correlation between tuber texture at harvest and pressure flattened area on the tuber following storage. Testing of tubers from different fields and cultivars as the potatoes are loaded into storage, may allow growers to identify and ship potatoes that are more susceptible before they develop significant pressure flattening.     

Potato production and incidence ofVerticillium dahliae following rotation to nonhost crops and soil fumigation in the state of Washington

For three years, potato yields, tuber quality, and incidence ofVerticillium dahliae were measured in field plots previously cropped for one year to the following nonhosts: sudan grass, green peas followed by sudan grass (same year), spring wheat, spring wheat followed by sudan grass (same year), sweet corn and field corn. One year rotation to nonhosts did not reduce the population ofV. dahliae propagules in the soil and in only one of the three years wereV. dahliae propagule numbers in potato stems significantly reduced in plots following nonhost crops, compared with plots following potatoes. Verticillium wilt symptoms in potatoes were not reduced by one year rotation to any of these crops and only in one year in three was yield significantly increased. In two of three years, percent U.S. No. 1 tubers was increased following one-year rotation with green peas plus sudan grass, and in one of the two years, specific gravity was increased by rotation. Rotational cropping to nonhosts for two years between potatoes significantly reduced preplant soil populations ofV. dahliae propagules in the soil and in potato stems the following fall. However, soil populations in these two year rotational plots the spring following potato were not reduced compared to plots previously cropped to potatoes two consecutive years. Cropping to nonhosts for two years had no consistent effect on incidence of Verticillium wilt in subsequent potato crops. Two years’ rotation to nonhosts increased plant height and yield compared to continuous cropping to potato but not percent U.S. No. 1 tubers. The various nonhost crops all had about the same non-significant effect on yield. In two out of three years’ trials, fumigation significantly reduced both the incidence of Verticillium wilt and number ofV. dahliae propagules in stems in plots compared to plots non-fumigated. In only one trial, fumigation significantly increased tuber yields and percent U.S. No. 1 tubers.     

Cultivation Practices and Potato Cultivars Suitable for Organic Potato Production

To identify the most important agronomic measures and cultivar traits in Swedish organic potato production, multivariate analyses were performed on a set of data from a series of field trials carried out in Sweden during a 7-year period. The effects of soil parameters, cultivar, year and geographical location on potato characteristics were investigated. Soil parameters including fertility level had strong and significant effects on potato characteristics, explaining 53% of total variation. Variables related to the duration of haulm growth were other dominant factors in the variation. While P and K fertilization increased yields, N fertilization had little effect on yield and a negative effect on the time to emergence. The N requirement of potatoes ranges from 2.5 to 5.9 kg ha^?1 per ton of tuber yield and was met in these trials. The results implied the timing of N application is important for yield. It was concluded that the importance of P and K fertilization is underestimated in organic production, and that the most important cultivar trait in achieving acceptable yield is long-lasting foliage, which is a characteristic of cultivars resistant to Phytophthora infestans. Three of the cultivars tested (Lady Balfour, Cicero and Sarpo Mira) had a yield >3.5 kg m^?2, which is high in Swedish organic production.     

Effect of soil temperatures at harvest on the bruise resistance of potatoes

The effect of soil temperature at harvest time on the bruise resistance of potatoes was determined by dropping a weight onto tubers, by dropping tubers, and by sampling commercially harvested potatoes. The results show that a positive linear relationship exists with bruise resistance increasing as soil temperature increases. Shifts in the regression function during the one season studied suggest that some factor or factors which were influenced by time also affected the bruise resistance rating. However temperature of the tubers (and hence, of the soil) at harvest remains the major determinant of the resistance of potato tubers to bruising. Correlation between the bruise rating and soil temperature, as found in the commercial operation, indicates that the relationship is of a magnitude to be of economic importance. An average of 20% of the Katahdin tubers sampled were bruised in the harvesting process and were a potential loss from marketing channels.     

河北省一季作区马铃薯病虫害发生及综合防控

河北省一季作区马铃薯主要病虫害有晚疫病、早疫病、黑痣病和二十八星瓢虫,此外,病毒引起的品种退化比较普遍,造成不同程度的损失。本文根据河北省一季作区马铃薯病虫害发生特点总结出一套综合防控技术体系,包括将马铃薯与玉米、大白菜等非茄科作物轮作3年减轻黑痣病危害;采用脱毒薯克服病毒引起的品种退化问题;种薯和(或)土壤消毒控制黑痣病和晚疫病;待马铃薯生长至封垄后,遇到适宜晚疫病发生的天气,喷施1～3次保护性杀菌剂预防晚疫病和早疫病;一旦监测到晚疫病中心病株后即拔除并装入塑料袋带出田外,并交替喷施有治疗效果、能兼治早疫病且作用机制不同的内吸性杀菌剂及混剂;田间出现马铃薯二十八星瓢虫成虫,在杀菌剂中混入高效氯氰菊酯或高效氯氟氰菊酯等高效杀虫剂防虫;马铃薯成熟前1～2周将地上部分割掉并运出田外后收获块茎。     

Zone-subsoiling effects on potato yield and grade

Soil compaction and erosion are problems in many Pacific Northwestern potato fields. We wanted to determine if zone-subsoiling would reduce these problems and improve potato yields and or grade without adversely impacting other production practices. Studies were conducted in Southern Idaho at six locations over two years on different soils and with different irrigation methods to assess the effects of zone-subsoiling immediately after planting on tuber yield and grade. Reservoir-tillage comparisons were made at three locations where sprinkler water application rates were higher than soil infiltration rates. Russet Burbank was represented by eight location-years and Russet Norkotah by two. Zone-subsoiling consistently improved tuber grade or increased tuber size. The biggest improvement was under furrow irrigation. Zone-subsoiling also tended to increase total yield in eight of ten location-years. Reservoir-tillage improved yield and grade, but zone-subsoiling did not without reservoir-tillage when water application rates were high. At no location did zone-subsoiling significantly decrease tuber grade or yield. Zone-subsoiling had no appreciable effects on hill configuration or seed-piece dislocation. Surface cracking and “water piping” occurred under furrow irrigation but were not significant problems. Results were similar for both cultivars. Additional studies will be needed to successfully incorporate zone-subsoiling into commercial production practices     

马铃薯氮肥施用技术的研究

本文对马铃薯经济施肥量与土壤、前作、密度、灌溉等栽培条件的关系进行了定量研究。提供了以土测值并综合考虑其他因素的氮肥用量推荐表。还提供了一个根据基础产量或产量目标确定的氮肥用量简表,供无测土条件时应用。旱作时,种肥优于追肥;有灌溉条件时,结合现蕾期浇水深施追肥则优于种肥。深施追肥比表施肥(尿素)提高肥效10％。     

Objective measurement of texture variables in raw and processed French fried potatoes

The five most important variables encountered in french fry production and texture measurement are: specific gravity, raw potato storage, raw potato firmness, freezing of fried product, and cooling of hot french fry slices. Shear force curves are presented to illustrate the effects of these variables. A double maximum cruts shear peak is exhibited by properly processed french fried potatoes when they are hot. Bursting of the crust is less evident with less desirable fries and with frozen and reheated samples. Shear press punch tests proved to be best for analyzing raw potato firmness. In order to determine and study the texture variations within a potato, Durometer³ tests were conducted on concentric zones and sections from bud to stem end of most firm and least firm raw tubers. Higher resistance to penetration was encountered in the most firm potatoes. Durometer values vary directly with solids within a tuber which can be explained by certain morphological conditions. Because of turgidity, however, solids and Durometer values vary inversely between firm and non-firm tubers. A table is presented which lists the texture inferences derivable from changes which occur in the french fried potato shear force curves.     

Sequential Path Analysis of Yield Components in Potato

In order to determine proper selection criteria for tuber yield in potato clones obtained from true potato seed (TPS) and to evaluate relationships between tuber yield and its components, an investigation was conducted using the five check cultivars Agria, Marfona, Draga, Agata, and Arinda, and 120 potato clones obtained from TPS. The study was conducted in an augmented randomized complete block design with three replications. Yield and its components were recorded. Correlation coefficient analysis showed that tuber yield had significant positive associations with number of tubers per plant, average weight per tuber (tuber size), plant height, diameter of main stem, and number of main and secondary stems per plant, whereas its correlation with tuber dry-matter concentration was significantly negative. Number of tubers per plant, tuber size, and plant height had significant standardized partial regression coefficients with very small tolerance and large variance inflation factor (VIF) values. These were considered as the first-order variables in sequential path analysis.     

Factors contributing to the blackspot bruise potential of Idaho potato fields

Blackspot bruise is a major problem in the fresh market and frozen french fry industry. The blackspot bruise potential of Russet Burbank and Ranger Russet in Idaho potato fields was determined by surveying commercial fields during 1993 and 1994. Management factors were monitored to determine what practices were contributing to blackspot susceptibility in addition to mechanical damage. The survey included 17 Russet Burbank and 3 Ranger Russet fields in 1993, and 28 Russet Burbank and 8 Ranger Russet fields in 1994. The 1993 season was unusually cool and wet whereas 1994 was warmer than normal, resulting in a wide range of environmental conditions for the 2 year study. Blackspot bruise potential was determined at different stages of tuber physiological maturity by collecting samples several weeks prior to normal harvest, immediately before harvest, and after storing sub-samples for several months. The blackspot bruise potential was measured by both impact and abrasive peel tests. Field maturity was the factor most consistently related to blackspot potential both years. In 1994 a multiple regression of 3 independent variables — field maturity index, specific gravity, and percent available soil water at tuber sampling, compared with the blackspot potential as the dependent variable gave a correlation coefficient of r = 0.73 (p = 0.001). Due to the cool, wet growing season in 1993, there was not enough variability in specific gravity and available soil water among the fields sampled for these factors to correlate with the blackspot potential. The available fertility data, although not complete for all fields, indicated no direct relationship between N, P, or K fertilization and blackspot potential. Preharvest samples in late August had lower blackspot potential than harvest samples in mid September, and storage samples in February had the highest susceptibility. There was a consistent increase in blackspot severity when tubers were equilibrated at 4 C compared with 10 C prior to bruising.