Planting Depth
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Final Report Understanding tuber formation: maintaining the capability to improve tuber quality attributes including greening Ref: 11140001 Reporting Period: April 2015 – March 2018 Report Authors: Simon Smart and David Firman Date report submitted: 5 April 2018 Report No.: 2018/2 © Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board 2018 © Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board 2018. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (including by photocopy or storage in any medium by electronic means) or any copy or adaptation stored, published or distributed (by physical, electronic or other means) without the prior permission in writing of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, other than by reproduction in an unmodified form for the sole purpose of use as an information resource when the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board is clearly acknowledged as the source, or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. AHDB (logo) is a registered trademark of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. All other trademarks, logos and brand names contained in this publication are the trademarks of their respective holders. No rights are granted without the prior written permission of the relevant owners. Additional copies of this report and a list of other publications can be obtained from: Publications AHDB Potatoes Tel: 02476 692051 Stoneleigh Park Fax: 02476 478902 Kenilworth E-mail: [email protected] Warwickshire CV8 2TL Our reports, and lists of publications, are also available at potatoes.ahdb.org.uk © Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board 2018 2 CONTENTS 1. SUMMARY ........................................................................................... 6 1.1. Aim .............................................................................................................. 6 1.2. Methodology ................................................................................................. 6 1.3. Key findings .................................................................................................. 6 1.4. Practical recommendations ........................................................................... 7 2. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................... 8 2.1. Stolon architecture and tuber greening ......................................................... 8 2.1.1. Stolon length ............................................................................................ 8 2.1.2. Stolon and tuber depth ............................................................................ 9 2.1.3. Commercial crops .................................................................................... 9 2.2. Variation in tuber size ................................................................................. 10 2.3. Experimental approach ............................................................................... 10 3. MATERIALS AND METHODS ................................................................. 12 3.1. Common methods ...................................................................................... 12 3.1.1. Crop maintenance ................................................................................. 12 3.1.2. Ground cover and emergence ............................................................... 13 3.1.3. Stolon measurement .............................................................................. 13 3.1.4. Tuber mapping ...................................................................................... 13 3.1.5. Tuber position ........................................................................................ 14 3.1.6. Tuber grading and greening .................................................................. 14 3.1.7. Tuber size .............................................................................................. 15 3.2. Experiment 1 – 2015 Variety ....................................................................... 15 3.3. Experiment 2 – 2016 Variety ....................................................................... 16 3.4. Experiment 3 – 2017 Variety ....................................................................... 17 3.5. Experiment 4 – Seed size ........................................................................... 17 3.6. Experiment 5 – 2016 planting date ............................................................. 18 3.7. Experiment 6 – 2017 planting date ............................................................. 19 3.8. Experiment 7 – Planting depth .................................................................... 19 3.9. Experiment 8 – Planting depth, ridge shape and hood pressure ................ 20 3.10. Survey of commercial crops ........................................................................ 20 3.10.1. Quality control data ............................................................................. 23 3.11. Variation in tuber size ................................................................................. 23 4. RESULTS .......................................................................................... 24 4.1. Experiment 1 ............................................................................................... 24 4.1.1. Emergence and ground cover ............................................................... 24 4.1.2. Stolon architecture ................................................................................. 25 4.1.3. Ridge profile .......................................................................................... 27 4.1.4. Tuber mapping ...................................................................................... 28 4.1.5. Number of stems, number of tubers, yield and grading ......................... 33 4.1.6. Tuber greening ...................................................................................... 33 4.2. Experiment 2 ............................................................................................... 35 4.2.1. Emergence and ground cover ............................................................... 35 4.2.2. Stolon architecture ................................................................................. 36 4.2.3. Ridge profile .......................................................................................... 41 4.2.4. Tuber mapping ...................................................................................... 42 4.2.5. Number of stems, number of tubers, yield and grading ......................... 47 © Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board 2018 3 4.2.6. Tuber greening ...................................................................................... 48 4.3. Experiment 3 ............................................................................................... 50 4.3.1. Emergence and ground cover ............................................................... 50 4.3.2. Stolon architecture ................................................................................. 51 4.3.3. Ridge profile .......................................................................................... 60 4.3.4. Tuber position ........................................................................................ 60 4.3.5. Number of stems, number of tubers, yield and grading ......................... 66 4.3.6. Tuber greening ...................................................................................... 66 4.4. Summary of variety experiments ................................................................ 68 4.5. Experiment 4 ............................................................................................... 74 4.5.1. Emergence and ground cover ............................................................... 74 4.5.2. Stolon architecture ................................................................................. 75 4.5.3. Yield and tuber greening ........................................................................ 76 4.6. Experiment 5 ............................................................................................... 77 4.6.1. Meteorology ........................................................................................... 77 4.6.2. Emergence and ground cover ............................................................... 78 4.6.3. Stolon architecture ................................................................................. 80 4.7. Experiment 6 ............................................................................................... 81 4.7.1. Meteorology ........................................................................................... 81 4.7.2. Emergence and ground cover ............................................................... 82 4.7.3. Stolon architecture ................................................................................. 84 4.8. Experiment 7 ............................................................................................... 85 4.8.1. Stolon architecture and tuber mapping .................................................. 86 4.8.2. Machine-planted strips ........................................................................... 87 4.9. Experiment 8 ............................................................................................... 87 4.9.1. Stolon architecture and tuber mapping .................................................. 87 4.9.2.