Soil Oxygen and Moisture in Relation to Russet Burbank Potato Yield and Quality

Holder, C.B. and Cary, J.W. (1984) Soil Oxygen and Moisture in Relation to Russet Burbank Potato Yield and Quality. American Potato Journal. 61:67-76.

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Abstract

On a Declo loam, rooting density, final yield and quality of potatoes
(Solanum tuberosum cv. Russet Burbank) showed no significant differences
among conventional planting, ripping along the row, or forced aeration 30
cm below the top of the row. There were significant relationships between
oxygen diffusion rate (ODR) and soil moisture tension (matric potential) at
the 30 and 40 cm depths, but these relationships were not significantly different
among treatments.

In a complementary experiment, sprinkler irrigations at negative soil
water matric potentials of 30-40 (wet), 40-50 (intermediate) and 50-60 kPa
(dry, i.e., 0.5-0.6 bar tension) produced no differences in total yield.
However, the wet treatment gave significantly more knobby and undersized
tubers < 113 g (4 oz.) and a lower percentage of U.S. #1 tubers than the intermediate
and dry treatments. Premium sized tubers > 284 g (10 oz.) were
significantly higher in the dry than in the wet treatment. Fertilizer N was applied
periodically during the season and petiole NO₃-N levels indicated adequate
levels with no differences among treatments in either experiment.

So much attention has been given to the effects of drought and high
temperature stress on the quality of Idaho Russet Burbank potatoes, that
some growers may now over-irrigate. Results of this research indicate that
attention should also be directed to the effects of excess moisture on the size
and quality of tubers.

Item Type:	Article
NWISRL Publication Number:	0522
Subjects:	Irrigated crops > Potato Soil > Chemistry Mass Import - autoclassified (may be erroneous)
Depositing User:	Dan Stieneke
Date Deposited:	20 Nov 2010 21:52
Last Modified:	13 Jan 2017 23:21
Item ID:	415
URI:	https://eprints.nwisrl.ars.usda.gov/id/eprint/415