Varietal susceptibility to damage in potatoes

Summary Samples of 62 varieties of potato grown under identical conditions were harvested with much and little damage. From the much damaged samples the damage index was calculated for each variety. The less damaged samples were examined with a Lampe penetrometer for skin hardness and hardness after removing 2 mm of tissue. The varieties were ranked in order of damage susceptibility, and though generally damage index and surface penetrometer reading were inversely related, some varieties gave anomalous results, showing prediction by penetrometer of susceptibility to mechanical damage to be unreliable. Penetrometer readings for the skin and the tissue 2 mm deep were compared to see if susceptibility to bruising is influenced by the relative strengths of inner and outer tissue. The susceptibility of varieties bruised by a standard technique was compared with that predicted. The relative strength of skin and internal tissue gave only a very approximate guide to bruising susceptibility.

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Zusammenfassung 62 Kartoffelsorten wurden unter gleichen Bedingungen angebaut. W?hrend der Ernte mit einem Siebkettenroder wurden von jeder Sorte Muster entnommen, sowohl nach zu starkem Schütteln des Siebes, um viele mechanische Sch?den zu verursachen, als auch nach Reduzierung der Schüttelbewegung, um den Schaden auf dem Minimum zu halten. Die ersten Muster wurden mit P-Kresol (Robertson, 1961) behandelt, um die Identifizierung der oberfl?chlichen mechanischen Sch?den (aber nicht Blaufleckigkeit) und den für jede der acht Gr?ssenklassen errechneten Schadenindex zu erleichtern. Die zweiten Muster wurden für die Prüfungen der Schalenfestigkeit mit dem Lampe-Penetrometer gebraucht (Lampe, 1959). Für jede Knolle wurde eine Oberfl?chen-Ablesung mit dem Penetrometer gemacht; dann wurde eine 2 mm dicke Scheibe von der Knolle entfernt und eine zweite Ablesung vorgenommen. Der Vergleich mit der Oberfl?chen-Ablesung mit jener 2 mm tiefer zeigt relative St?rke der Schale und des inneren Gewebes. Es wird angenommen, dass wenn das Schalengewebe viel st?rker ist als das innere Gewebe, die Entwicklung von Blaufleckigkeit m?glich ist, w?hrend bei relativ festerem innerem Gewebe keine Blaufleckigkeit entstehen dürfte. Die Sorten wurden klassifizicrt als sehr früh, früh, mittelfrüh und mittelsp?t, und in den Tabellen 1–4 sind sie in absteigender Reihenfolge ihres Schadenindexes nach Gewicht aufgeführt, so das die am leichtesten zu besch?digenden Sorten in jeder Tabelle oben und die gegen Besch?digungen am widerstandsf?higsten Sorten am Schluss stehen. W?hrend im allgemeinen eine Sorte mit einem hohen Schadenindex eine kleinere Belastung im Penetrometer anzeigt und umgekehrt, gibt es dafür einige Ausnahmen, z.B. Craig's Alliance, Dunbar Rover, Ulster Classic und Désirée. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass ein Penetrometer nicht immer ein verl?ssliches Instrument für die Vorhersage der Empfindlichkeit einer Sorte auf mechanische Sch?den darstellt. Es hat sich auch gezeigt, dass der Gebrauch des Penetrometers als Hilfsmittel zur Vorhersage sortenbedingter Empfindlichkeit auf Blaufleckigkeit unzuverl?ssig ist. Wenn bei einigen Sorten durch Fallenlassen einer Stahlkugel auf die Knollen Blaufleckigkeit induziert wird (Tabelle 5), zeigt sich, dass die Hypothese des Einflusses der relativen Festigkeit des ?usseren und inneren Gewebes auf die Empf?nglichkeit der Sorten für Blaufleckigkeit nicht aufrechterhalten werden kann.

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Résumé Soixante-deux variétés ont été mises en végétation dans des conditions identiques. Au cours de la récolte avec une arracheuse-élévatrice, on a prélevé des échantillons doubles, l'un après agitation excessive des cha?nes pour causer le maximum de dommages mécaniques, l'autre après réduction de l'agitation des cha?nes pour réduire les dommages au minimum. On a traité le premier échantillon avec du p-crésol (Robertson, 1961) pour faciliter l'identification des dommages mécaniques de surface (mais non les taches cendrées) et on a calculé l'indice d'endommagement (Robertson, 1966) pour chacune des 8 classes de grosseur. Le second échantillon a été utilisé pour les tests de dureté de la peau au moyen du pénétromètre Lampe (Lampe, 1959). On fait une première lecture de surface sur chaque tubercule, puis une seconde après enlèvement d'une tranche de 2 mm. La comparaison de la lecture de surface avec celle à 2 mm de profondeur révèle les résistances du tissu de surface et du tissu interne. Il est supposé que si le tissue de surface est beaucoup plus fort que le tissu interne, le développement des taches cendrées peut être possible, tandis qu'avec un tissu interne relativement fort les taches cendrées ne peuvent se produire. Les variétés sont classées dans les catégories: première précocité, seconde précocité, récolte principale, tardive; les tableaux 1 à 4 montrent les variétés dans leur catégorie, classées par ordre décroissant d'indice d'endommagement par poids, les variétés sensibles se trouvant donc au sommet des colonnes, les plus résistantes en dessous. Alors qu'en général une variété avec un haut indice d'endommagement montre une faible charge de pénétration avec le pénétromètre et vice-versa, il appara?t quelques exceptions, par example Craig's Alliance, Dunbar Rover, Ulster Classic et Désirée. Ces résultats montrent que le pénétromètre n'est pas toujours un instrument valable pour prévoir la susceptibilité d'une variété aux dommages mécaniques. L'usage du pénétromètre en tant qu'aide pour prévoir la susceptibilité d'une variété aux taches cendrées s'est également montré non valable. L'induction de meurtrissures sur quelques-unes des variétés en laissant tomber des boules d'acier sur les tubercules (tableau 5) a montré que l'hypothèse de l'influence des résistances relatives des tissus externes et internes sur la prédisposition des variétés aux meutrissures n'est pas confirmée.

     

Frequent low-volume sprinkler irrigation of potatoes

Potatoes, cv. Netted Gem, irrigated at intervals of approximately one week or daily to replace daily evapotranspiration, were cooled by lowvolume sprinkling when air temperature exceeded 26.7 C (80 F). During 3 years when average temperatures for the hottest 2 months of the growing season, were within 1.5 C (2.7 F) of the 69-year average (17.5 C or 63.5 F), yields of potatoes irrigated by frequent low-volume sprinkling were not significantly greater than those of potatoes irrigated weekly. Salt deposits on leaves of plants that were irrigated daily and cooled had no effect on yield. It was concluded that frequent low-volume sprinkling would not be superior to conventional irrigation scheduling for potatoes in southern Alberta.     

Water-nutrient-herbicide management of potatoes with trickle irrigation

A study was designed to test the effectiveness of nitrogen and herbicide applications through soil moisture-controlled, trickle-irrigation systems, and to test the effectiveness of automatic irrigation via soil moisture control to minimize the water requirement and N-losses for high-frequency, trickle-irrigation systems. Results indicated that single or multiple applications of herbicide at recommended rates can be used effectively with trickle irrigation to control weeds in the potato row where cultivation is not possible. Nitrogen can be efficiently applied through a trickle system that features automatic soil moisture control through the use of a high-frequency irrigation schedule.     

Evaluation of on-farm irrigation scheduling methods for potatoes

The neutron probe, infrared thermometry and crop water stress index (CWSI), and a computer-assisted irrigation scheduling method were evaluated in terms of their effect on tuber yield, tuber quality, and water use. The experiment was conducted during 1990 and 1991 near Othello, central Washington, using Russet Burbank potatoes grown in a silt loam soil. Irrigation treatments did not commence until after tuber initiation. In general, no differences in total number of tubers and total tuber yield resulted from the different scheduling methods. However, the canopy temperature method showed reduction in the yield of number one tubers in 1990. The least total irrigation water was applied during the growing season with the neutron probe method. Using CWSI values above 0.5 to 1.0 (scale 0 to 10) for two consecutive days as a threshold to schedule irrigations appeared to be adequate for potatoes grown in silt loam soils. However, shortcomings of infrared thermometry suggested that this method may not be practical for scheduling irrigation of potatoes.     

Varietal differences in the response of potatoes to repeated short periods of water stress in hot climates. 1. Turgor maintenance and stomatal behaviour

Summary The response of six potato cultivars, Désirée, Up-to-Date, Alpha, Elvira, Spunta and Troubadour, to water stress under high ambient temperatures was investigated. Osmotic regulation in the leaves of all six cultivars was highest in Alpha and the lowest in Troubadour. Concomitantly, Alpha maintained the highest turgor potential under water stress while Troubadour had the lowest values indicating a relationship between the degree of osmotic regulation and maintenance of turgor. The highest stomatal conductance under water stress was exhibited by Désirée while both stressed and non-stressed plants of Up-to-Date had the lowest values. In addition, Up-to-Date had a larger root system than Désirée. The association of these traits with tolerance to short periods of drought in the potato is discussed. Contribution from the Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel, No 295-E, 1981 series. The investigation was supported in part by a grant from the Ministry for Development Cooperation of the Netherlands.     

Photochemical air pollution injury to potatoes in the Atlantic Coastal States

Photochemical oxidants, primarily ozone, can cause severe injury to potatoes, including premature senescence of leaves, death of plants, and reduced yield of tubers. Under some controlled conditions, ozone produced leaf injuries similar to those observed in fields. Studies were initiated in 1969 comparing growth of eight varieties in greenhouses with carbonfiltered and unfiltered air. The yields of sensitive varieties were reduced as much as 50% in unfiltered air. Tolerant varieties produced about the same yields in both environments, but their yields in filtered air tended to ozone, and to pollutants in unfiltered air, were assessed in 1972. A summary of 4 years of oxidant data at Beltsville is provided. The severe leaf injury and yield loss (about 50%) with some potato varieties on the Eastern Shore of Virginia in 1971 are attributed primarily to oxidant air pollutants. In 1971 and 1972, oxidants reached about the same maximum levels as at Beltsville.     

A response of grey mould of potatoes to fertilizer treatment

Summary A fertilizer experiment on potatoes in which mechanical damage was followed by infection with grey mould (Botrytis cinera Pers. ex Fr.) provided the opportunity to make some observations on the incidence of the disease upon plants having different levels of mineral nutrition. It is suggested that the application of potash increases the resistance to infection by decreasing the host susceptibility to damage. The response to nitrogen may be governed by the pathogen's requirement for both nitrogen and carbohydrate.