Some effects ofRhizoctonia solani on growth and yield of potatoes

Summary Below ground infection byRhizoctonia solani had little effect on the development of potato haulm. Severe infection caused an increase in the number of tubers initiated, but a reduction in the total weight of tubers. Tubers often formed in leaf axils of severely infected plants. It is suggested that these effects occur because assimilate production is not markedly affected by infection, but the compounds need to be redistributed when lesion development on the stolons blocks transport to the usual sinks.     

Diurnal temperature fluctuation effects on potatoes grown with 12 hr photoperiods

This study was designed to characterize the growth responses of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) to diurnal temperature fluctuations. Potato plants of two cultivars, Norland and Denali, were grown for 90 days under 12 hr photoperiod in walk-in growth rooms at the University of Wisconsin Biotron. The alternating temperature was 22 C light/14 C dark and compared to a constant 18 C as control. At all temperature regimes vapor pressure deficit was maintained at 0.62 kPa (70% relative humidity [correction of humdidity] at 18 C). Plant height, plant dry weight, tuber dry weight, and harvest index were overall greater under the warm light/cool dark alternating temperatures than under the constant temperature. The differences between temperature treatments were greater for Denali than for Norland. Alternating temperatures increased Denali tuber weights by 25%, but no significant increase was found with Norland. Also the total plant weight was increased over 20% with Denali, but increased with Norland in only one of the two replications of the experiment. This study documents that alternating temperatures are a benefit to some cultivars but may not be of benefit to all cultivars.     

The effects of dihydroquercetin on the cut surface of seed potatoes

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects which dihydroquercetin (DHQ) has on the natural healing process of suberization and wound periderm initiation in cut seed potatoes. Dihydroquercetin is a phenolic compound extracted from the bark of Douglas Fir,Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco. Anatomical studies of treated seed potato tissue showed that treatment with bark-383, the cork-rich fraction of the whole bark containing approximately 2% pure DHQ, increases the thickness of the suberized layer formed below the cut surface. Treatment with 4% bark fraction I, which is blended to that concentration with the inert carrier dust Pyrax and contains approximately the same amount of DHQ as does the bark-383, also promoted the formation of a thicker layer of suberized cells. The thickness of the wound periderm did not significantly vary as a result of the use of any treatments containing DHQ. The use of Captan (Orthocide 50W) as a cut seed treatment in these studies was found to inhibit the formation of a suberized layer and subsequently the initiation of a wound periderm. The combination of bark-383 and Orthocide 50W in a treatment mixture reversed the inhibitory affect of the Orthocide 50W alone and therefore allowed for the formation of a well suberized layer and a wound periderm. It was found that wound healing on the cut surface of seed potatoes is largely dependent on the type of tissue present at any given point on that cut surface. Therefore, the response to treatment of the stolon end, center, and blossom end tissues was related to the type of tissue which was present in each of those tuber regions. The fungal mold growth on treated seed pieces incubated in a controlled environment was adequately retarded when Orthocide 50W was combined with bark-383 in a mixture ratio of 1:9 respectively. The longer the treatment material was allowed to remain on the seed piece, the greater was the protection against mold growth afforded by the mixture.     

The effects ofAlternaria solani andVerticillium dahliae on potatoes growing in Israel

Summary The effects of two major fungal diseases of potatoes growing in hot climates, early blight (Alternaria solani) and Verticillium wilt (Verticillium dahliae), were investigated in field trials. Large populations of clones were grown in the Negev, Israel in the Spring and Autumn seasons of three years, 1983, 1984 and 1985. Although symptoms of the diseases were seen in both seasons they were less severe in the Autumn. The effects ofA. solani on yield, when expressed as percent of the control plot yield were also less in the Autumn than the Spring. WithV. dahliae, however, the proportional effect on yield was greater in the Autumn. The decreases in yield associated with the two diseases were examined in terms of losses to the grower. The advantages of breeding for resistance/tolerance to these diseases were clear, emphasising the need for suitable screening techniques.     

Application of calcium and nitrogen for mitigating heat stress effects on potatoes

This study was designed to investigate the effect of calcium and nitrogen application during heat stress on leaf calcium concentration, transpiration rate, membrane thermostability, and biomass accumulation and partitioning. Micropropagated Russet Burbank potato (Solanum tuberosum L). plants were transplanted into 20 L pots containing 1:1 (v/v) soil: perlite and exposed to 30/20C (D/N) temperatures for four weeks (weeks 9–12 after transplanting) in a controlled-environment growth room. The maximum temperature was maintained for 6 hr during the middle of the 14 hr photoperiod. The nutrition treatments were N before stress (NBS), N during stress (NDS) and Ca and N during stress (Ca+NDS). Calcium was supplied as Ca(NO₃)₂. All treatments received the same total amount of nitrogen. Native soil Ca level without amendment (550 mg Ca/kg soil) was sufficient for potato plant growth under normal temperatures. Plants given Ca and N during heat stress had the highest leaf Ca concentration and transpiration rate during and 2 weeks after conclusion of the heat stress period. When measured after 4 weeks of heat stress, area and fresh and dry weight of the most recently mature leaf was significantly greater in NDS and Ca+NDS plants compared to NBS plants. Cellular membrane thermostability (measured as ion leakage from heat-treated leaf disks) was not affected by any treatment prior to heat stress. However, leaf tissue from Ca+NDS plants exhibited significantly higher membrane thermostability compared to NBS plants after 2 and 4 weeks of heat stress. At harvest, NDS and Ca+NDS plants had significantly higher leaf/stem (fresh weight ratio) values compared to NBS plants. Also, Ca+NDS plants had significantly greater total tuber and biomass values than NBS and NDS plants. Results of this study suggest that some detrimental effects of heat stress on plant growth and stomatal function may be alleviated by Ca and N application during heat stress. The data also suggest that mitigation of heat stress by Ca and N application during heat stress may maintain plant productivity when optimum growing temperatures are restored.     

Maximizing rhizosphere populations of fluorescent pseudomonads on potatoes and their effects onErwinia carotovora

Field-grown potato plants were treated withPseudomonas putida andP. fluorescens strains in order to maximize the rhizosphere populations of the pseudomonads and determine their effects on indigenous populations ofErwinia carotovora. Single applications of the pseudomonads to seed pieces at planting resulted in peak populations of approximately 10⁵ colony-forming units (CFU) per gram (fresh weight) of root in July, whereas a second application in June boosted rhizosphere populations 10- to 100-fold higher throughout the remainder of the growing season; they composed nearly 20% of the average total population of rhizosphere bacteria in early July. Although rhizosphere populations of the introduced pseudomonads were high,E. carotovora populations sharply increased from very low numbers to reach populations ranging between 10⁵ and 10⁷ CFU/g by early July. Furthermore, coapplications of pseudomonad strains failed to suppress native populations ofE. carotovora despite the growth and maintenance of high rhizosphere populations of both pseudomonad strains.     

Nitrogen fertilizer efficiencies on potatoes

Nitrogen fertilizer efficiencies must be known to successfully apply N fertilizer according to crop growth needs. The objective of this study was to determine the recovery, partitioning, and translocation of N fertilizer applied at different times for potato production. Russet Burbank potatoes were fertilized preplant with¹⁵N-depleted ammonium sulfate, and during early and late tuber growth with urea containing K¹⁵NO₃ in 1978 or (¹⁵NH₂)₂CO in 1980. All N applications increased tuber yields above the control treatments. The N recovery efficiency was 60% for the preplant N application, and over 80% and near 60% for the N applications during tuber growth in 1978 and 1980, respectively. Good agreement was found between the isotope and difference methods of determining N recovery efficiencies. Labeled N was initially concentrated in the stems and leaves, particularly if applied during tuber growth. Over 80% of the assimilated, labeled nitrogen was found in the tubers at the start of plant maturation. These data indicate that a significant improvement in N fertilizer efficiency would result from split N fertilizer applications made according to crop growth needs.