Relation between growth conditions and dormancy of seed potatoes. 1. Effects of nitrogen

Summary The duration of dormancy of seed potatoes varies between years and between origins. Therefore, the effects of conditions during crop growth on dormancy of progeny tubers were studied. The effect of nitrogen during tuber bulking on the duration of dormancy was investigated in three field experiments with two cultivars. In addition to an application of 125 kg N/ha at planting, top dressings of 0–150 kg N/ha were given about 2 weeks after tuber initiation. Haulm was pulled about 4 weeks later. The effect of nitrogen rate at planting was also examined in one experiment. Nitrogen top dressings shortened dormancy in all experiments by 5–8 days. An increased nitrogen rate at planting resulted in a shorter dormancy when the duration of dormancy was expressed in days after tuber initiation, but not when it was expressed in days after haulm pulling, probably because extra nitrogen also delayed tuber initiation.     

Relation between growth conditions and dormancy of seed potatoes. 3. Effects of light

Summary The effects on the dormancy of progeny tubers of the timing and level of shading during plant growth were investigated in three field experiments. The tubers were harvested while immature. Shading (50–75%) the crop shortly before haulm pulling shortened dormancy by 5–7 days in two experiments. However, dormancy was hardly affected by 50% shading in one experiment, carried out in a sunny dry period. The effects of the photoperiod during tuber bulking on dormancy were studied in two indoor experiments. Plants were grown at 18/12°C (day 12h/night) and a 12 h photoperiod. Shortly after tuber initiation, the photoperiod was extended to 18 h for 4–6 weeks by photosynthetically inactive incandescent light, or kept at 12 h. The effects of the photoperiod on dormancy were up to 9 days, but differed between the cultivars and experiments. Generally, the effects on tuber dormancy of differences in growth conditions, as reported in this series of papers, were limited.     

Shortening dormancy of seed potatoes by storage temperature regimes

Summary Four experiments (three with four cultivars, one with twenty cultivars) investigated the effect of different storage temperature regimes on the duration of dormancy of seed potatoes harvested immature. Regimes included constant temperatures (18 and 28°C), hot pre-treatments (20 days at 28°C and subsequently 18°C) and cold pre-treatments (20 days at 2°C and subsequently 18°C). Compared with 18°C, storage at 28°C slightly prolonged dormancy of some cultivars with a genetically short dormancy and shortened dormancy by up to 45 days in cultivars with a long dormancy. Some tubers of one cultivar lost their ability to sprout after storage at 28°C for 90 days. A hot pre-treatment shortened dormancy by 2–3 weeks on average, for all cultivars examined. A cold pre-treatment shortened dormancy by 2 weeks on average in some cultivars with a short dormancy and in all cultivars with a long dormancy.     

Morphological changes in tuber buds during dormancy and initial sprout growth of seed potatoes

Summary Potato tuber dormancy is usually defined as lasting from tuber initiation until a sprout of 2 mm long has been formed under storage conditions optimal for sprouting. We tried to find out whether there is a period during which buds of seed tubers do not grow and whether different batches of seed take the same time to grow sprouts 2 mm long. We measured changes in number of leaf primordia and length of tuber buds of cvs Diamant and Désirée over two years. After early haulm pulling, buds did not grow for at least 60 days (‘Diamant’) or 95 days (‘Désirée’). Buds in both cultivars and two tuber weights of ‘Diamant’ took about 20 days from the estimated onset of sprouting to grow 2 mm long. We question whether this period is always similar and thus whether the moment sprouts 2 mm long have formed is a good criterion for the end of dormancy.     

Variation in the duration of tuber dormancy within a seed potato lot

Summary The variation in duration of dormancy within a seed tuber lot was studied over three years by harvesting individual plants of cvs Diamant and Désirée from field plots and by storing the tubers at 18°C. The variation in dormancy within a tuber lot was large (especially for cv. Diamant) and was mainly caused by variation within plants. For cv. Diamant there was a close negative relation between dormancy and the cube root of tuber weight, whereas for cv. Désirée a relation with tuber weight was almost absent. The duration of dormancy of a seed lot comprising tubers with a narrow range in weight can be well described by two parameters. It is proposed to maintain the moment of 80% sprouting as the criterion for the end of dormancy of a tuber lot and to characterize the spread in dormancy duration by the time lapse between 10% and 90% sprouting.     

The effect of temperature and light during storage of young seed potatoes on initial plant development at early plantings

Summary Young seed tubers of several cultivars were exposed to storage temperatures of 4–24°C in light and dark intended to optimise their growth vigour following early plantings. In five experiments during four autumn and winter periods, the effects of storage conditions on subsequent initial plant development in the glasshouse were studied. Storage of seed potatoes for 2 months at temperatures of 12°C or higher greatly increased early plant development of five cultivars following early plantings. Light during storage had a favourable effect, but desprouting before planting was greatly disadvantageous.     

Effect of applying nitrogen fertilizer to a potato seed crop on the susceptibility of the daughter plants toErwinia carotovora subsp.atroseptica

Summary Seed potatoes of cvs Record and Bintje were grown with 30, 80 or 130 kg N/ha. In the subsequent growing season the seed tubers, which were inoculated or not with two concentrations ofErwinia carotovora subsp.atroseptica (Eca), were subjected to the same fertilization treatment. The incidence of blackleg and the level of seed tuber decay increased from the uninoculated treatment to the higher inoculum level, but the degree varied considerably from one year to another. Cv. Bintje was more susceptible to blackleg and yield loss caused by Eca than cv. Record. In 1990, when disease incidence was high, the proportion of blackleg stems increased with increasing doses of nitrogen fertilizer which had been applied to the seed crop, but was not significantly affected in 1988 and 1992. Seed tuber decay was retarded by the lowest nitrogen dose. The yield of the subsequent crop was not affected by the nitrogen dose applied to the seed crop.     

The effect of potato seed tuber age and soil temperature on the phenomenon of non-emergence

Summary In three experiments seed tubers of cvs Jaerla, Bintje and Alpha, stored at 12 °C in the dark, were planted in glasshouses on various dates at soil temperatures varying from 8 °C to 28 °C to study the phenomenon of ‘non-emergence’ with ageing seed tubers. In general the tubers were desprouted before planting. At all plantings cv. Alpha produced normal plants. The cvs Jaerla and Bintje, however, showed high proportions of the ‘little potato’ phenomenon when planted in cold soil, and high proportions of decayed tubers more frequently in warm soil. When using physiologically older seed at later planting dates, both the range of soil temperatures became wider and the proportions of seed tubers experiencing both ‘little potato’ and decay increased.     

In vitro microtuberization: an evaluation of culture conditions for the production of virus-free seed potatoes

Summary A tissue culture technique is described in which nodal cuttings ofSolanum tuberosum L. are induced to form usable microtubers in order to produce high health status of the seed potato genotypes cultivated in Switzerland.     

A device for measuring the growth of individual potato tubers non-destructively and precisely

Summary A device for measuring the short-term fluctuations in volume of individual tubers is described. Its accuracy is mostly independent of tuber growth stage, shape and malformations. The coefficient of variation of volume of a tuber of 40 cm³ was usually well below 0.15% when the tuber was measured four times.     

The effects of (S)-(+)-carvone treatments on seed potato tuber dormancy and sprouting

Summary Potato seed tubers may suffer from premature sprouting during storage, thus limiting their suitability for cultivation. Commonly used sprout suppressant treatments negatively affect but viability and therefore a reliable method to inhibit bud development must still be found for seed tubers. The monoterpene carvone ((S)-(+)-carvone) was tested in small scale experiments. The vapour of this compound fully inhibited bud growth of tubers cv. Monalisa stored at 23°C without affecting bud viability throughout 6 months of treatment. The most effective range of carvone vapour concentrations was between 0.34 and 1.06 μmol mol⁻¹. With these qualities we can expect carvone to become a suitable sprout suppressant for seed tubers.     

Inheritance of tolerance ofGlobodera pallida and the relationship between tolerance and resistance toG. pallida in potatoes

Summary The tolerance of and resistance toGlobodera pallida of two potato progenies which segregated for these characteristics were assessed in pots in the glasshouse. The level of tolerance varied widely between genotypes within the progenies, with several genotypes being significantly more tolerant than the intolerant parent. The levels of resistance and tolerance in the progenies were not significantly correlated. No indications were obtained that the ranking of genotypes for tolerance is influenced by the density ofG. pallida in the soil. The results confirm that selection for tolerance in aG. pallida resistance breeding programme is useful and feasible.     

The response of potatoes to a single transient heat or drought stress imposed at different stages of tuber growth

Summary The effects of a single treatment of heat or drought stress imposed at different stages of tuber growth, were investigated in two potato cultivars, Désirée and Cara. Both stresses impaired dry matter accumulation in tubers, and tuber yields. Stress imposed at early stages of tuber growth, when tubers were less than 20 mm in diameter, had little effect on dry matter accumulation, whereas stress imposed later resulted ingnificant losses of dry matter in tubers. Stress imposed during later tuber growth increased the percentage of tubers sprouting in the soil. Tuber malformation was less affected. The adverse effects of heat on tuber yield and quality seemed to be greater than those of drought. Drought increased the content of total soluble solids (TSS) and lowered the osmotic potential in the tuber tissue of both cultivars. These effects were detectable even 55 days after stress relief. Contribution from the Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel No 984-E, 1984 Series. This investigation was sponsored by a grant from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Technical Assistance Department, Netherlands.     

Effects of a short period of drought on changes in tuber volume and specific leaf weight. I. Long-term changes

Summary Single-stemmed potato plants, cv. Bintje, were grown on a nutrient solution under controlled conditions. They were exposed to a short drought stress, or remained untreated. Long-term measurements of tuber volume were carried out with a non-destructive volume-meter. Specific leaf weight was monitored with a β-gauge. Tubers from the same plant varied in rate and duration of growth. The relative growth of stressed tubers was 43–54% less than that of the control tubers. The hierarchy of tubers from one stem changed over time in plants that were exposed to the stress. Specific leaf weight declined during the stress period but there was a prompt recovery after the relief from drought. This response was similar to the response of the average rate of volume increase of the tuber.     

Seed tuber production from true potato seed (TPS) in Egypt and the influence of environmental conditions in different growing periods

Summary The effect of environmental conditions on seed tuber production from true potato seed (TPS) in nurseries was evaluated in different growing periods during two seasons in Egypt. In the autumn season, high soil and air temperatures reduced emergence and initial foliage development of early-sown seedlings, and decreased tuber yields. In late-sown seedlings low night temperatures and short daylengths caused early tuberization, poor foliage development and low tuber yields. In the spring season, low temperatures and short daylengths resulted in a slow initial foliage development and early haulm-tuber competition for assimilates in early-sown seedlings. However, tuber yields were higher than for late-sown seedlings, presumably because net assimilation and assimilate partitioning to the tubers were impaired by above optimum air and soil temperatures in May and June. Slow development of true seed-sown plants caused a high sensitivity towards adverse environmental conditions and would limit yielding ability in Egypt.     

Changes in potato starch quality during growth

Summary Potato starch quality parameters (amylose concentration, glucose-6-phosphate content and granule size) were analyzed in relation to the harvesting date and tuber size of four cultivars. A significant increase in the glucose-6-phosphate content and granule size of starch was observed during tuber growth, whereas the amylose concentration was constant. Granule size increased markedly, whereas glucose-6-phosphate content showed slightly increasing values with increasing tuber size. Amylose concentration showed no correlation with tuber size. We conclude that the changes in the granule size, glucose-6-phosphate and amylose content of potato starch during growth are independent of each other.     

The dormancy of seed potatoes. 2. The effect of storage temperature

Summary Seed potatoes harvested immature or mature were stored under various temperature treatments and the time to the start of sprout growth recorded. Immature tubers sprouted before mature tubers. A period of storage at 4°C compared with ambient temperature resulted in earlier sprouting. The response to low temperature storage decreased the later the tubers were placed in sprouting conditions and was greater with mature than immature tubers and with sprouting at 15 C compared with 20°C. There was little difference in the time to the start of sprout growth with immature tubers sprouted at 15°C or 20°C but with mature tubers there was an advantage in favour of the higher temperature. The results indicate that immature seed is preferable to mature seed for very early planting. If mature seed is used the results suggest that it should be stored at 4°C for up to 1 month after harvesting and then sprouted at 20°C.

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Zusammenfassung Das Kraut der Kartoffelversuchsfelder (Sorte Arran Banner) wurde am 23. Juli oder 6 Wochen sp?ter. am 3. September, zerst?rt. Die Knollen wurden am 19. September geerntet und bei verschiedenen Temperaturverfahren gelagert. Der Zeitpunkt des Keimbeginns wurde notiert. Bei gleichen Lagerbedingungen keimten unreife Knollen früher als reife Knollen. Eine Lagerung bei 4°C, verglichen mit der Umgebungstemperatur, veranlasste die Knollen zu früherem Keimen (Abb. 1). Die Reaktion auf die Lagerung bei 4°C nahm ab, je sp?ter die Knollen unter Keimbedingungen aufgestellt wurden; sie war aber st?rker bei reifen als bei unreifen Knollen (Abb. 1) und bei Keimung bei 15°C verglichen mit 20°C (Abb. 3). Bei unreifen Knollen, die bei 15 oder 20°C keimten, bestand nur ein kleiner Zeitunterschied bis zum Beginn des Keimwachstums. Bei reifen Knollen ergab sich aber ein Vorteil zu Gunsten der h?heren Temperatur (Abb. 2 und Tabelle 3). Knollen, die w?hrend 30 Tagen bei 4°C gelagert wurden, keimten vor jenen, die von der Ernte an kontinuierlich unter Keimbedingungen gehalten wurden und vor jenen, die w?hrend 90 Tagen bei 4°C aufgestellt waren (Tabelle 3). Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass für sehr frühes Auspflanzen unreifes Pflanzgut dem reifen vorzuziehen ist. Wenn reifes Pflanzgut verwendet wird, ist es aufgrund der Ergebnisse empfehlenswert, das Pflanzgut bis zu einem Monat nach der Ernte bei 4°C zu lagern und es dann bei 20°C vorzukeimen.

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Résumé Les fanes de parcelles de pomme de terre, variété Arran Banner, ont été détruites le 23 juillet ou 6 semaines plus tard le 3 septembre. Les tubercules ont été récoltés le 19 septembre et conservés dans différentes conditions de température. La date de départ de la germination a été enregistrée. Les tubercules non m?rs germent avant les tubercules m?rs quand ils sont stockés dans les mêmes conditions. Comparé à une conservation dans les conditions ambiantes, le stockage à 4°C hate le départ de germination (fig. 1). L’effet du froid est plus important sur des tubercules m?rs que sur des tubercules non m?rs (fig. 1) et avec une germination à 15°C comparée à 20°C (fig. 3). Plus les tubercules sont placés tardivement en conditions favorables à la germination. plus l’effet du stockage à 4°C décroit. Il y avait une petite différence de départ de germination entre tubercules non m?rs placés à 15°C et à 20°C, maisavec les tubercules m?rs les résultats sont en faveur de la plus haute température (fig. 2 et tableau 3). Les tubercules stockés à 4°C pendant 30 jours germent avant ceux qui sont placés dès la récolte dans les conditions favorables à la germination et avant ceux qui sont stockés à 4°C pendant 90 jours (tableau 3). Les résultats montrent qu’un plant non m?r est préférable à un plant m?r pour les plantations très précoces. Si un plant m?r est utilisé. les résultats suggèrent qu’il doit être stocké à 4°C un mois après la récolte puis mis en germination à 20°C.

     

Effect of physiological age on growth vigour of seed potatoes of two cultivars. I. Influence of storage period and temperature on sprouting characteristics

Summary The influence of storage temperature and storage period on sprouting capacity and incubation period has been studied for 3 years with cvs. Jaerla and Désirée, stored at 4°C and 12°C, as a part of a combined study on the effect of physiological age on growth vigour. During storage the sprouting capacity gradually increased to a maximum and then declined. The maximum sprouting capacity was reached about 80 to 100 days earlier when tubers were stored at 12°C than at 4°C, and it was reached about 50 days earlier by cv. Jaerla than by cv. Désirée at both storage temperatures. The incubation period deereased linearly with time for both cultivars at both storage temperatures, being most rapid at 12°C, and the period was shorter for cv. Jacrla than for cv. Désirée during the whole storage period.

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Zusammenfassung In der allgemeinen Einführung wird das Ziel der gemeinsamen Forschung, den Einfluss des physiologischen Alters auf die Wachstumintensit?t zu untersuchen, beschrieben, und es werden spezielle Ausdrücke definiert, die in dieser und in den folgenden Mitteilungen verwendet werden. In dieser gemeinsamen dreij?hrigen Untersuchung (1979–1981) sind Pflanzknollen der Sorten Jaerla und Désirée aus gleicher Herkunft verwendet worden, die bei 4°C und 12°C gelagert wurden (Tab. 1). Es wird der Einfluss der Lagerzeit und der Temperatur auf das Keimgewicht diskutiert, auf den Gewichtsverlust durch Atmung und Verdunstung und auf die Keimungskapazit?t. die Keiml?nge und auf die Inkubationsperiode. Bei einer Lagertemperatur von 12°C wurden das Keimgewicht pro Knolle und der durch Atmung und Verdunstung bedingte Gewichtsverlust der Knollen und Keime kr?ftig stimuliert (Tab. 2). Bei beiden Sorten wurde w?hrend der Lagerung bei 12°C eine exponentielle Beziehung zwischen dem Keimgewicht und dem Gewichtsverlust durch Atmung und Verdunstung gefunden. wobei die Sorte Jaerla einen h?heren Gewichtverlust pro Keim aufwies (Abb. 1). Die bei 12°C gelagerten Knollen der Sorte Jaerla keimten früher als diejenigen der Sorte Désirée und erreichten eine h?heres durchschnittliches Keimgewicht. Die Keimungskapazit?t und die Inkubationsperiode wurden w?hrend der Lagerung in Abst?nden durch Entkeimen der Knollen und Wiederaustreiben lassen bei 18°C bestimmt. Die Keimungskapazit?t wurde nach 4 Wochen bestimmt an Hand des Keimfrischgewichtes pro Knolle, ausserdem wurde die L?nge des l?ngsten Keimes bestimmt. Die Inkubationsperiode wurde definiert als der Zeitraum zwischen der Keimung und der Bildung kleiner Knollen an den Keimen. Die Keimungskapazit?t erreichte w?hrend der Lagerung ein Maximum, um danach abzufallen (Abb. 2). Dieses Maximum wurde etwa 80 bis 100 Tage früher erreicht, wenn die Knollen bei 12°C gelagert wurden. Bei beiden Lagertemperaturen war die maximale Keimungskapazit?t bei der Sorte Jacrla etwa 50 Tage früher erreicht als bei der Sorte Désiréc. Die maximale L?nge des l?ngsten Keimes korrespondiert in nahezu allen F?llen mit der maximalen Keimunskapazit?t, wobei zwischen beiden Merkmalen cine gute bis sehr gute lineare Beziehung besteht (Tab. 3). Bei beiden Sorten und beiden Lagertemperaturen verringerte sich die Inkubationsperiode linear mit der Zeit, und zwar am schnellsten bei der h?chsten Lagertemperatur. Die Inkubationsperiode der Sorte Jaerla war in allen F?llen kürzer als diejenige der Sorte Désirée (Abb. 3). Wenn das Maximum der Keimkapazit?t überschritten wird, besteht bei beiden Sorten und bei beiden Temperaturen, 4°C und 12°C, eine postive lineare Bezichung zwischen dem Abfallen der Keimungskapazit?t und der Verringerung der Inkubationsperiode (Tab. 4).

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Résumé Dans l'introduction générale l'objectif des recherches concertées concernant l'influence de l'age physiologique sur la vigucur de croissance est décrit et plusieurs termes employés ici et dans plusieurs articles antérieurs sont définis. Les études ont été réalisées durant trois ans (1979–1981) avec des plants des variétés Jaerla et Désirée de même origine conservés à 4°C et 12°C (tableau 1). L'influence de la durée et de la température de conservation sur le poids de germes, les pertes de poids par évapotranspiration, la capacité germinative, la longueur des germes et la période d'incubation est discutée. Le poids de germes par tubercule, les pertes de poids dues à l'évapotranspiration et la germination sont fortement stimulés à 12°C (tableau 2). Il existe une relation exponentielle entre le poids de germes et les pertes de poids des tubercules dues à l'evapo-transpiration pour les deux variétés convervées à 12°C, avec toutefois une perte plus élevée par poids de germes pour la variété Jaerla (figure 1). Les tubercules de cette dernière conservés à 12°C germent plus rapidement que ceux de Désirée et ont un poids moyen de germes plus élevé. La capacité germinative et la période d'incubation sont déterminés à intervalles réguliers durant la conservation par égermage des tubercules suivi d'une germination à 18°C. La capacité germinative est déterminée après quatre semaines par la mesure du poids frais des germes par tubercule et la longueur du plus long germe. La période d'incubation est définie comme étant le temps s'écoulant entre le début de la germination et la formation de petits tubercules sur les germes. La capacité germinative durant la conservation augmente dans le temps puis décline (figure 2). Le maximum est d'environ 80 à 100 jours plus précoce lorsque les tubercules sont conservés à 12°C. Pour les deux températures de conservation, la capacité germinative maximum est pour Jaerla approximativement de 50 jours plus précoce que pour Désiréc. La longueur maximum du plus long germe correspond dans preque tous les cas au maximum de capacité germinative avec une haute ou très hute corrélation (tableau 3). La période d'incubation diminue linéairement avec le temps pour les deux variétés et les deux températures de conservation, bien que plus rapidement pour la température la plus élevée. La période d'incubation de la variété Jaerla est dans tous les cas plus courte que celle de Désirée (figure 3). Lorsque la capacité germinative maximum est passée, il existe une elation linéaire positive entre la diminution de celle-ci et la diminution de la période d'incubation au sein de la même variété pour 4°C et 12°C (tableau 4).

     

Effect of gibberellic acid and multiple harvests on production and reproductive value of seed potatoes produced above ground on stem cuttings

Summary Potato plants of cvs Eersteling and Bintje were grown from stem cuttings and induced to form aerial tubers for use as seed. Spraying the plants with gibberellic acid in concentrations of 10, 25 and 50 mg/l to induce stolon formation in the leaf axils led to a decrease in the number of tubers formed per plant. Multiple harvesting of the largest tubers from plants treated with gibberellic acid or not, approximately doubled the number of tubers formed but halved their individual weight compared with only one harvest at plant senescence. After a storage period of about 1 year, with their vigour declining, the aerial tubers were planted in the field. Aerial seed tubers taken from multiple harvests during the previous year produced the same number of tubers as plants grown from above-ground tubers harvested at plant senescence only, but the tuber yields declined with earlier harvesting when small (5–13 mm) aerial tubers were used, compared to larger (14–19 mm) tubers.     

Compatibility of potatoes to contrasting seasonal conditions,to high temperatures and to water deficit: The association with time of maturation and yield potential

Summary Genotypic variation in the adaptation of potatoes of several maturity classes to the specific climatological conditions of the autumn season, to the high summer temperatures and to water deficit, was studied. Late-maturing cultivars exhibited the highest yielding potential both in the spring and autumn seasons but specific compatibility of cultivars to the autumn was detected. The late-maturing cultivars were more susceptible to high temperatures than were the early ones. However, there were significant differences in susceptibility to high temperatures among cultivars of the same maturity class. Susceptibility to water deficit was similar in the various maturity classes, but there were differences in the susceptibility to drought among cultivars of the same maturity class. High yielding potential generally resulted also in acceptable tuber yields under conditions of water deficit. High temperatures in combination with a water deficit aggravated yield losses, especially in the late-maturing cultivars. Contribution from the Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel. No. 2782-E, 1989 series.