Effects of shoot, root and stolon temperature on the development of the potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plant. III. Development of tubers

Summary

The cultivars Bintje and Désirée were growth with their shoots, roots and stolons at different temperatures, to study the effects on tuber development.

More tuber sites were initiated in ‘Bintje’ when the air, root or stolon temperature was increased but a combined increase of air and root temperature greatly reduced the number of sites. In contrast, each temperature increase reduced the number of tuber sites in ‘Désirée’ but an increase in temperature in one compartment usually increased the number of tubers set. The relative tuber set was enhanced by a combination of high stolon temperature and low root temperature.

Especially an increase in air temperature reduced tuber yield and tuber dry-matter content, but increasing stolon temperature had the largest effects on the induction of second growth.

Stolon and tuber development, dry-matter partitioning and initiation of second growth responded differently to variation in temperature around different plant parts suggesting that these processes are affected by different regulation mechanisms.