Abstract
The present study was initiated to determine if increased stem numbers produced by physiologically older seed can be compensated for by increased fertilizer rate. Seed tubers held for 2 months at 16 C (physiological older seed) which averaged 3.7 main stems were compared in yield parameters to physiologically younger seed kept at 4 C (average 2.4 stems). The comparison was made at three levels of fertilizer 0, 140, and 280 kg/ha of nitrogen applied in a 16:16:16 (N-P2O5-K2O) formulation. Seed size and spacing were equal. Total and U.S. No. 1 yield were significantly higher for the younger seed. The greatest difference was that the younger seed at 140 kg/ha fertilizer yielded significantly more large size (over 280 g size) tubers than the older seed at equal to or double (280 kg/ha) the fertilizer rate indicating that additional fertilizer was not sufficient to overcome the effects of higher stem numbers from older seed. On the other hand, the older seed produced significantly higher yield of the undesirable small sizes.
Resumen
El estudio que así se presenta se llevó a cabo para determinar si el incremento del número de tallos, producido cuando se usa semilla fisiológicamente m⇒ vieja, puede ser compensado por un incremento en la tasa de fertilización. Se compararon, en términos de rendimiento, tubérculos-semillas mantenidos por 2 meses a 16 C (semillas fisiológicamente más viejas) que promediaban 3,7 tallos principales, con semilla fisiológicamente más joven mantenida a 4 C (con un promedio de 2,4 tallos). La comparación se realizó bajo tres niveles de fertilizante nitrogenado 0, 140, y 280 kg/ha aplicado en una formulación 16:16:16. El tamaño de la semilla y el espaciamiento en la siembra, fueron iguales.
El rendimiento total, y el de tubérculos U.S. No. 1, fue significativamente mayor para la semilla más joven. La mayor diferencia encontrada fue que la semilla más joven, a 140 kg/ha de fertilizante, rindió signifacativamente más tubérculos de mayor tamaño (por encima de 280 g) que los tubérculossemillas más viejos a cantidades iguales o al doble (280 kg/ha) de la tasa de fertilizatión no era suficiente para anular los efectos del mayor número de tallos en la semilla más vieja. De otro lado, la semilla más vieja produjo un rendimiento significativamente más alto de tubérculos, indeseables, de tamaño pequeño.
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Scientific Paper No. 7505, College of Agriculture and Home Economics Research Center, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6414, Project 6949.
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Iritani, W.M., Weller, D.L. The influence of physiological age, stem numbers and fertility on yield and grade of Russet Burbank potatoes. American Potato Journal 64, 291–299 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02853521
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02853521