Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-03T17:23:40.119Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Determination of optimum tuber planting density in the potato varieties Pentland Squire, Cara, Estima, Maris Piper and King Edward

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

D. C. E. Wurr ,
J. R. Fellows  and
E. J. Allen
D. C. E. Wurr
Affiliation:
Horticulture Research InternationalWellesbourneWarwick CV35 9EFUK
J. R. Fellows
Affiliation:
Horticulture Research InternationalWellesbourneWarwick CV35 9EFUK
E. J. Allen
Affiliation:
Cambridge University FarmHuntingdon RoadGirtonCambridge CB3 OLHUK
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Thirty-two experiments examining the effects of the weight and within-row spacing of potato seed tubers on graded tuber yields of five varieties were conducted on eight sites from 1980 to 1985. A complex analysis technique was used to combine these data and estimate the optimum tuber planting densities for different ratios of seed cost to small (40–60 mm) and large (60–80 mm) ware value. The same technique could be applied to any other combination of seed cost, ware size and ware value.

The optimum tuber planting density decreased with increasing seed-tuber weight. Differences in optimum planting density between varieties were much greater with small (35 g) than with large (105 g) seed tubers and decreased as the cost of seed increased relative to the value of ware. As large ware became worth more than small ware the influence of increasing seed cost on the optimum density was reduced. As the value of large ware increased, net returns increased and the effect of seed cost on net returns was reduced. Mean tuber size decreased with increasing stem density at harvest and at the same stem density was lower in varieties producing more daughter tubers/stem. Changes of mean tuber size (μ) and the spread of yield across size grades (σ) with time were well described by parallel curves in different varieties. It is suggested that in future it may not be necessary to determine optimum tuber planting densities by complex experiments involving several seed-tuber weights and spacings. Instead μ and σ could be estimated from simple experiments and tuber spacings determined by comparison with control varieties.

Type
Crops and Soils
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 119 , Issue 1 , August 1992 , pp. 35 - 44
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bates, G. H. (1935). A study of the factors influencing size of potato tubers. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 25, 297–313.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bleasdale, J. K. A. (1965). Relationships between set characters and yield in maincrop potatoes. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 64, 361–366.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boyd, D. A. & Lessells, W. J. (1954). The effect of seed rate on the yield of potatoes. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 44, 465–476.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Firman, D. M., O'Brien, P. J. & Allen, E. J. (1991). Leaf and flower initiation in potato (Solatium tuberosum) sprouts and stems in relation to number of nodes and tuber initiation. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 117, 61–74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jarvis, R. H. (1971). Population studies with Pentland Crown and Pentland Dell potatoes. Experimental Husbandry 20, 84–92.Google Scholar
Jarvis, R. H. & Rogers-Lewis, D. S. (1974). Population studies with Pentland Ivory and Record potatoes. Experimental Husbandry 27, 23–30.Google Scholar
Jarvis, R. H. & Rogers-Lewis, D. S. (1976). Population studies with Desirée, Maris Piper and Stormont Enterprise potatoes. Experimental Husbandry 31, 135–144.Google Scholar
Jarvis, R. H. & Shotton, F. E. (1971). Population studies with King Edward potatoes. Experimental Husbandry 20, 12–29.Google Scholar
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1985). Seed rate for potatoes grown as maincrop. MAFF leaflet 653.Google Scholar
Maw, G. (1867). Results of experiments on the potato crop with reference to the most profitable size of the sets; the influence of thick and thin planting etc. carried out in the years 1864 and 1865 at Benthall near Broseley. Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society II 3, 552–570.Google Scholar
Struik, P. C. (1987). Effects of short changes in environmental conditions on the development, yield and tubersize distribution of potatoes. In Proceedings of the 10th Triennial Conference of the European Association of Potato Research, Aalborg, pp. 346–347.Google Scholar
Travis, K. Z. (1987). Use of a simple model to study factors affecting the size distribution of tubers in potato crops. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 109, 563–571.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wurr, D. C. E., Fellows, J. R., Sutherland, R. A. & Allen, E. J. (1990). Determination of optimum tuber planting density for production of tubers in processing ware grades in the potato variety Record. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 114, 11–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar