Summary
The effects of six levels of irrigation water supply on the growth and yield of two potato cultivars, Kennebec and White Rose, were examined in a field experiment conducted on a deep Yolo loam soil. Seasonal patterns of soil water depletion, water-use efficiency, leaf area development, and dry matter partitioning were evaluated.
Total seasonal evapotranspiration (ET) ranged from 316 to 610 mm for the Kennebec cultivar and from 331 to 630 mm for White Rose. The contribution of soil water depletion to ET increased as the water supply decreased. The cultivars exhibited root activity to 150 cm below the soil surface under all treatments.
The amount of applied water affected dry matter accumulation significantly. Both cultivars exhibited a high correlation between leaf area duration and final plant dry weight, suggesting that the effect of water stress on dry matter production was largely a function of effects on leaf area expansion and leaf senescence. Significant differences were not detected in partitioning of assimilates to the harvestable organs (harvest index) or on water-use efficiency during the season among different irrigation treatments and cultivars.
In general, yield increased with increasing ET, but there was a slight yield depression in the wettest treatment, possibly due to poor soil aeration and nitrogen deficiency near the end of the season. White Rose had more defects in tuber shape and lower marketable yields under dry soil conditions than Kennebec. The final fresh-weight yield of marketable tubers ranged from 4.7 to 33.9 t/ha for White Rose and from 14.3 to 35.8 t/ha for Kennebec.
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Wolfe, D.W., Fereres, E. & Voss, R.E. Growth and yield response of two potato cultivars to various levels of applied water. Irrig Sci 3, 211–222 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00272837
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00272837