Effect of root pruning and sub-lethal rates of dinoseb on hollow heart of potatoes

Abstract

Potatoes, cv. Norgold Russet were pruned or sprayed with sub-lethal rates of dinoseb (2-sec- butyl-4, 6 dinitrophenol) to slow tuber growth and initiation of hollow heart. The percentage by weight and number of tubers with hollow heart was reduced by root pruning; however, there was also a general but lesser reduction in total yield from these treatments. The same trends were found to occur from dinoseb applications, though with the rates used, the reductions in yield and hollow heart were not as great and usually not significantly different from controls. The commercial application of these techniques is complicated by the difficulty in accurately determining the period of initiation and severity of the problem. Also, the root pruning done in these trials required a special custom built implement, while the use of the sub-lethal rates of dinoseb entailed uncertainty concerning the degree of injury to be caused by a chosen rate of application.