The Pink Eye Syndrome Does Not Impair Tuber Fresh Cut Wound-Related Responses

The potato tuber pink eye (PE) syndrome is a costly physiological disorder that results in corruption of the native periderm, susceptibility to infection, water vapor loss and associated shrinkage, roughened and cracked tuber surfaces, and various related blemishes and defects. PE results in aberrant internal suberin deposition without overt induction by a wound, yet little is known of the effect of PE on wound healing. Herein, we determined the effect of the PE syndrome on basic wound-healing processes: reduction of water vapor loss, suberization and induction of the wound-related hormones abscisic acid (ABA) and jasmonic acid (JA). There was no significant difference in reduction of water vapor loss, rate of accumulation of suberin biopolymers or induction of ABA and JA biosynthesis during wound healing in PE vs. control tubers. These results are important because they indicate that the PE syndrome does not induce a systemic effect that adversely impacts these crucial wound-related processes throughout the tuber, including those areas of the tuber that have no detectable PE symptoms.     

The effect of wound severity, type of tissue, and use of the tuber disk model system on arachidonic acid-induced rishitin accumulation in potato tuber

The wound response within damaged potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.) must be a coordination of suberization with other resistance responses if infection is to be avoided. Previously, we showed that wound healing was affected by wound severity and consequently the type of tissue damaged within the tuber. Using arachidonic acid-induced accumulation of rishitin as a model for phytoalexin accumulation, we now demonstrate that this tuber resistance response is also influenced by wound severity and the type of tissue exposed to the elicitor. Kennebec and Reddale tubers that were superficially wounded by removing a thin tissue slice (0.75 mm thick) from the surface and then treated with the elicitor arachidonic acid produced significantly less rishitin than more severely wounded tubers (e.g., tubers cut in half) and excised tuber tissue disks (17 mm × 4 mm). Excised, elicitortreated tuber tissues accumulated significantly more rishitin in cortical cells than in perimedullary and pith cells. Rishitin accumulation was routinely measured 96 h after wounding and was found to be declining by 144 h regardless of wound severity. Induction of rishitin accumulation was very localized with more than 80 % of the rishitin found within 0.75 mm of the treated wound. These results indicate that excised tuber tissue disks, often used as models in wound research, are not fully representative of intact tubers. Perhaps more important, the results show that superficial wounds of intact tubers, i.e., similar to shallow nick and abrasion type wounds typically incurred during harvest, accumulate very little rishitin. However, rishitin accumulation in the tuber disk model system is much greater than that found in superficially wounded tubers, but is similar to the accumulation that could be elicited in cut (seed) tubers. The complications contributed by these wound-related and tissue-specific interactions must be factored into the model system(s) used in describing the role(s) of phytoalexins in the broad framework of disease resistance for stored potatoes and cut seed.     

Influence of vine senescence and storage on wound healing of Russet Burbank tubers

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Russet Burbank) tubers were harvested weekly over a 6 week period from non-water-stressed and water-stressed plants. Discs were cut from fresh tubers and from tubers stored for 10 days at 4°C to determine their wound healing ability as evaluated by disc resistance to water loss. Neither harvest date nor water status significantly influenced wound healing while storage significantly increased wound healing ability. Enhanced wound healing associated with storage was accompanied by reduced variability of disc resistance to water loss and increased levels of suberin as reflected by the diol and alcohol components. This work suggests that plant senescence and harvest date are not good indicators of the potential wound healing ability of tubers. Physiological evidence is presented to support the practice of short periods of storage following harvest to improve tuber wound healing ability and thereby reduce shipping and handling losses due to injury.     

Suberization and periderm development in Norchief and Red Pontiac potatoes

The largest difference in the rate of wound healing (suberization and periderm development) of cut tubers was attributable to the difference in temperatures (15.5 vs 23.8 C) tubers were stored at after cutting. Lesser differences were found between the Red Pontiac and Norchief cultivars and between the various regions of the tuber. The least difference was found between the different sources of Norchief. Wound healing occurred most rapidly at 23.8 C, in Red Pontiac and in the cortical region of the tuber. It seems probable that a major cause of the high incidence of seed piece decay and poor stands found in Norchief is due to slow wound healing.     

Techniques for detecting and measuring developmental and maturational changes in tuber native periderm

We developed a technique to quantitate native periderm permeability during tuber growth and maturation by porometrically determining vapor conductances. We also describe a simple, inexpensive means of determining the corresponding weight per unit area of suberized phellem cells (skin) in native periderm during tuber growth and maturation as a means of assessing the developmental status of native periderm. The porometric technique is very sensitive and rapid. Porometrically derived vapor conductances of mature native periderms were measured without difficulty, and native periderms were found to release ~0.005 moles of water vapor/meter² native periderm surface/sec. into a dry test atmosphere. Immature native periderm released up to 28 times more water vapor than mature periderm even though the phellem cells were histochemically determined to possess both major components of suberin. We demonstrated use of the porometric technique by determining maturational changes in periderm permeability of growing/immature tubers and mature tubers at harvest. The technique revealed that the native periderm of Russet Burbank tubers was more permeable and had the potential to lose more water vapor, until becoming permeably mature, than Norchip or Norland tubers harvested on the same dates. The dry weight of the skin (phellem tissue) of native periderm (mg/ cm²) for all three cultivars increased during tuber growth, but plateaued to a relatively constant level, or slightly declined, while plants were still alive during the latter period of tuber growth. During this period, periderm vameable conductances were undergoing substantial declines. Comparison of skin dry weights of immature tubers indicated that stem end regions of tubers were developmentally ahead of equatorial and bud end regions; this difference decreased as the tubers matured at harvest time and was less apparent with some cultivars.     

Effect of whole seed tuber size and pre-plant storage conditions on yield and tuber size distribution of Russet Burbank

Field experiments were conducted in 1995, 1996, and 1997 at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Harrington Research Farm to assess the effect of whole seed tuber size and pre-plant seed storage conditions on processing yield (> 51 mm dia.) of potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv Russet Burbank). Following commercial storage, seed tubers were stored at 4.4 C then subjected to one of three pre-plant treatments: (1) planted directly from storage, (2) held at 10 C for 3 wk before planting, or (3) green-sprouted for 3 wk before planting. Five sizes of whole seed were used (28, 42, 56, 70, and 84 g) with a variable size cut seed treatment added for comparison. Plots were harvested 138,134, and 131 days after planting in 1995, 1996, and 1997, respectively. Cut seed produced a higher yield of tubers > 51 mm diameter in comparison to all whole tuber seed sizes, with the exception of the 28 and 56 g sizes. In terms of total yield, the 28and 42-g whole seed tubers yielded significantly less than all other seed sizes examined. Warming or greensprouting seed tubers prior to planting did not increase tuber yield. The larger whole seed tuber sizes tended to result in greater numbers of stems and tubers per plant. To maximize marketable yield of Russet Burbank planted from whole seed tubers, it is recommended that the seed be between 28 and 42 g in size. Accepted for publication 25 May 2004.     

Resistance of Potato Tubers to a Highly Aggressive Isolate of Phytophthora infestans in Relation to Tuber Age

The goal of these studies was to evaluate the influence of tuber age on the expression of resistance to Phytophthora infestans in five selected potato genotypes (three cultivars and two clones) varying in tuber resistance and maturity type, and also to select the best time for testing potato tubers for resistance to blight. Resistance was evaluated by inoculating whole tubers at 13 different times as they progressively aged during growth and storage. Tuber age was expressed as weeks after planting. Tubers were rated from week 13 (late July) until week 43 (late February) for tubers planted on 27–28 April, over three consecutive seasons (2001–2003). Analysis of variance performed on tuber resistance data showed significant effects of genotype, year and tuber age. Significant contributions of genotype × year, genotype × tuber age, year × tuber age and year × genotype × tuber age interactions were also detected. A slight increase in tuber resistance with tuber age was observed for cvs Bzura, Sokół and Irga, while the opposite trend was observed for the clones 97-A-63 and DG 92-227. Changes in tuber resistance with age of tested genotypes were not related to their maturity type. The period of most stable expression of tuber resistance was observed when tubers were tested between the 16th and 28th week after planting.     

Glycoalkaloid accumulation during tuber development of early potato cultivars

Summary Plants of early potato cultivars were sampled at successive harvests during tuber development and individual tubers were analysed for α-solanine and α-chaconine using high-performance liquid chromatography. Mean tuber total glycoalkaloid concentration (α-solanine plus α-chaconine) per plant decreased with time and statistically significant differences between cultivars were observed in the patterns of decline during tuber growth. The mean tuber ratio of α-chaconine to α-solanine increased during tuber development and was also affected by genotype. Total glycoalkaloid concentration for individual tubers of marketable sizes (up to 50 g fresh weight) exceeded the safety limit of 20 mg per 100 g fresh weight for cultivars Home Guard and British Queen but not for Rocket. These differences were attributable to differences in both rates and patterns of glycoalkaloid accumulation during tuber development, although in all cultivars results were consistent with glycoalkaloid accumulation occurring in the expanding peripheral cell layers of tubers for a considerable period after tuber initiation.     

CIPC residues on stored Russet Burbank potatoes: 1. Maximum label application

Residue concentrations of chlorpropham (CIPC) on stored Russet Burbank potatoes were evaluated after thermal aerosol treatment at maximum labeled rates. The aerosol was applied after the potatoes had been placed in the storage structure and the wound healing process was complete. Average residue concentrations four days after the initial application ranged from 6 to 8 mg/kg fresh tuber weight depending on the storage temperature and the application rates. A second aerosol treatment applied 90 days after the first treatment kept the residue concentrations above 5 mg/kg for the duration of the storage period. A direct spray application to the tubers at various times during the study raised the average CIPC concentration an additional 2 to 3 mg/kg. All CIPC residue concentrations measured on tubers in this study were below the EPA established (1996) tolerance of 30 mg/kg. Residue concentrations of CIPC were greater on potatoes near the bottom of the pile than near the top of the pile. These variations in CIPC residue concentrations (3–8 mg/kg between top and bottom of the bulk pile) are appropriate justification for the development of improved application methodology.     

The effect of short periods of shading at different stages of growth on the development of tuber number and yield

Summary Shading potato plants at the beginning of tuber initiation for a period of 12 days reduced the rate of tuber formation and growth; but after the shades were removed tuber formation continued to give more tubers and the shaded plants eventually produced 30% more tubers than the unshaded, with similar yield. Shading for 12 days during the early stages of rapid tuber bulking had no effect on tuber number or survival, though bulking rate was temporarily reduced, leading to a reduction in final yield. These number results indicate that tuber number can be influenced by the weather during the period of tuber initiation.     

The effect of early drought stress on numbers of tubers and stolons of potato in controlled and field conditions

Summary Potatoes were grown in plots, pots or containers in a glasshouse or under a rainshelter. Water was withheld from emergence onward or from tuber initiation onward in some treatments. The number of stolons per stem was greatly reduced but the number of tubers + tuber initials per stolon remained unchanged (cv. Radosa) or increased (cv. Bintje) as a result of the earliest drought treatment. The later dry period did not affect numbers of stolons and tubers (+ initials). These findings correspond well with data from field trials which were sampled for 13 consecutive years and which showed a highly significant linear relationship between the number of tubers per stem and total rainfall during the first 40 days after planting, which ranged from 17.5 to 120 mm.     

Comparative field performance of potatoes from seedlings and tubers

A field trial was conducted at Freeville, NY to compare yields from hybrid families ofSolanum tuberosum L. with yields from their corresponding full sib, first clonal generation tubers. Unselected tubers were saved after harvesting transplanted seedlings of four Neo-Tuberosum × Tuberosum hybrids in 1982. The following year these tubers were planted for comparison with seedlings of the same hybrids in a split plot design. Total yields and yields of tubers ≥ 38 mm in diameter were respectively 34% and 38% higher from tuber propagated plants than from seedlings. The biggest difference was in tubers ≥ 63 mm diameter, where plants from tubers gave yields more than double those from seedlings. Seedlings had twice as many large axillary branches per stem as plants from tubers. Uniformity of tuber size and shape, and overall appearance ratings of tubers were better with seedling propagation; however, these comparisons are biased by the tendency of seedlings to produce smaller tubers, which inherently receive higher ratings.     

Susceptibility of potatoes to bacterial rot and weight loss as a function of wound-healing interval and temperature

A study was conducted to determine the feasibility and advantages of wound-healing potatoes at lower than recommended temperatures. The progress of wound-healing at 6, 9, and 16°C, of tissue taken from Russet Burbank potato tubers, was evaluated by inducing weight loss with high temperature or decay organisms following various curing intervals. Increasing the wound-healing temperature resulted in a greater resistance to weight loss and a decreased susceptibility to infection byErwinia carotovora subsp.carotovora. Resistance to weight loss increased as wound-healing temperature increased following 6 and 16 day intervals. However, weight loss induced after 21 days of healing appeared to level off at 9°C indicating maximum development of a wound barrier. Loss due to rot, after inoculation of fresh cores withE. carotovora, was directly proportional to incubation time and temperature. When wound-healing progress was measured by loss of fresh weight induced by elevated temperatures or rot, the advantages of woundhealing at 16°C compared with 9°C decreased significantly after 21 days of curing. Wound-healing at approximately 9°C for 25 days was found to be the best compromise temperature for keeping rot progress and weight loss at a minimum while allowing the process of healing and maturation to occur.     

Die Effizienz der Nassfäuleabwehr bei der Wundheilung von Kartoffelknollen. 1. Bestimmung der befallsauslösenden Erregerdichte und ihrer Umweltbeeinflussung

Zusammenfassung Nach Inokulation mit abgestuften Bakteriendichten wurde über eine Vitalf?rbung von Knollengewebe der Schwellenwert zur F?uleausl?sung bestimmt. Seine Erh?hung nach 24 h Wundheilung charakterisiert die Effizienz der biochemischen F?uleabwehr. Die Abwehrreaktionen des Knollengewebes und der Prozess der F?uleausl?sung sind in unterschiedlichem Masse von der Temperatur, der Feuchtigkeit und dem O₂- sowie dem CO₂-Gehalt der Atmosph?re abh?ngig.

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Summary The inoculum densities (effective dose) ofErwinia carotovora sub sp.atroseptica (Eca) needed to initiate infection of tuber tissue before and after a 24 h wound-healing period, was determined using a vital stain. The effects of various treatments on the efficiency of the defence reaction associated with wound healing, and on rot initiation were manifested as changes in the effective dose. The defence reaction was inhibited by temperatures <10°C, reduced O₂ levels ≤5%, and CO₂ proportions ≥20% (Fig. 3a and 4a). Moisture loss in stored tubers increased their defence reaction compared to that of freshly harvested ones (Table 1). The effect of these factors on Eca development was identical to that which occurs in potato production where tuber wounds are generally contaminated with Eca. Rot initiation was best prevented by removal of water (Table 1), storage at 15°C, avoidance of reduced O₂ levels <10% and CO₂ accumulation (Fig. 3b and 4b).

     

The control of stem numbers in potato competition experiments using either whole tubers or seed-pieces

Summary The growth and development patterns of the potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cv. Maris Piper are compared for one- and four-eyed whole tubers, and four single-eyed seed-pieces of two different weights. In the multi-sprouted tubers some eyes, especially from the base of the tuber, failed to emerge due to the re-establishment of apical dominance after planting. Stems emerged first from eyes at the apex of the tuber, and had a larger leaf area per eye during the early harvests, than stems arising from other parts of the tuber. These differences diminished as the canopy expanded. The numbers and sizes of daughter tubers at the final harvest were similar for all four-eyed treatments. Single-eyed cores of 10 g are recommended for effective control of stem numbers with uniform canopy production.     

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.     

Water loss from potato tuber discs: a method for assessing wound healing

Summary A rapid and simple method for assessing wound healing in dises of potato tuber tissue has been developed. The rate of water loss is measured when batches of six dises are briefly exposed in a stream of air. The rate of water loss shows little change during the early stages of wound healing but decreases rapidly later.     

Effect of weight of potato minitubers on sprout growth,emergence and plant characteristics at emergence

Summary The behaviour of minitubers in five weight classes, having mid-point values between 0.19 and 3.00 g, was studied during sprouting and emergence under controlled conditions. Lighter tubers took longer to produce sprouts of 2 mm, and their sprouts grew more slowly between 2 and 4 mm and 4 and 6 mm. As sprouts lengthened their rate of growth increased. The influence of tuber weight was less for heavier tubers and also decreased as the sprouts grew longer. When tubers with sprouts of the same length were planted in pots, sprouts from lighter tubers took longer to emerge. Emergence was later and differences between weight classes were larger when tubers were planted deeper (6 or 9 cm) or when they had shorter sprouts at planting (2 or 4 mm). At emergence, plants from lighter tubers had thinner stems and lower stem and root weights, but higher stem weights proportional to tuber weights and higher shoot:root ratios.     

Soil water stress and the growth and yield of potato plants grown from microtubers and conventional seed tubers

Tuber yields of potato plants grown from microtubers in fields are more variable than yields from conventional seed tubers (CT). One reason could be their higher susceptibility to water stress. This study clarified the effect of soil water stress from 1 month after emergence on the growth and yield of plants grown from conventional seed tubers and microtubers in fields. Microtubers (0.5–3 g) and conventional seed tubers (50 g) were grown in Hokkaido, Japan, over three field seasons. One month after emergence, poly-shelters were placed over the plots to prevent rainfall, and either irrigated (wet plot) or non-irrigated (dry plot) treatments were formed. At mid-flowering (about 50 days after emergence) leaf area index (LAI) in microtuber plants was decreased relatively more due to soil water stress than LAI in conventional seed tuber plants. However, at maximum shoot growth (about 80 days after emergence) both microtuber and conventional seed tuber plants had a similar relative decrease in LAI due to soil water stress. At mid-flowering and maximum shoot growth microtuber and conventional seed tuber plants had reduced stomatal conductance due to soil water stress, but the reduction in stomatal conductance was greater in conventional seed tuber plants than in microtuber plants. Microtuber and conventional seed tuber plants had similar root development at maximum shoot growth. Tuber production from mid-flowering until plant maturity was similarly affected by soil water stress in microtuber and conventional seed tuber plants. At harvest, plants affected by soil water stress had about 87% of the tuber dry weight of irrigated plants. We conclude, that the greater variation on tuber yield of microtuber plants cannot be attributed to soil water stress from 1 month after emergence.     

Comparative performance of different-sized seed tubers derived from true potato seed

The growth and yield of plants from different-sized seed tubers derived from true potato seed were evaluated on a per stem, per plant, and per unit area basis using either single or multiple-sprout tubers. In single-sprout tubers, haulm dry weight per stem 47 days after planting was greater in the 40–60 g tubers when compared with that in the 5–10 g or the 10–20 g tubers. This resulted in greater tuber weight per stem in the 40–60 g tubers throughout the growing season. The number of tubers per stem was not affected by seed tuber size. In multiple-sprout seed tubers of increasing size, total tuber number and total tuber weight, as well as weight of those tubers larger than 45 mm, increased on a per plant basis but decreased on a per stem basis. At different rates of planting, 1–5 g seed tubers produced smaller tubers than 5–10 g or 10–20 g seed tubers. Increased rate of planting resulted in non-significant yield increases per unit area in plots planted with 1–5 g seed tubers. The yield increases were significant when 5–10 g and 10–20 g seed tubers were planted at higher rates. The number of main stems per unit of seed tuber weight was five times greater in 1–5 g tubers compared with that in 40–60 g tubers. This resulted in low seed weights per hectare when small tubers were planted and in a high ratio of harvested to planted tuber weight.