Irrigation and soil temperature effects on Russet Burbank quality

Kincaid, D.C. and Westermann, D.T. and Trout, T.J. (1993) Irrigation and soil temperature effects on Russet Burbank quality. American Potato Journal. 70:711-723.

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Abstract

Potato growers in the Pacific Northwest suffer large economic losses
in seasons with above normal temperatures, due to excess reducing sugars
in tubers, which cause dark-end French fries. Our objective was to study
irrigation management effects on potato quality, particularly the factors
causing dark-end French fries or sugar-end syndrome. Solid-set sprinkler
irrigated plots were established on potatoes at Kimberly, Idaho during the
1987, 1988 and 1989 irrigation seasons, and at Parma, Idaho in 1987 and
1988. Irrigation treatments were high and low frequency (3/week and
1/week) and two or three water application amounts referenced to estimated
evapotranspiration (ET, ET+20%, and ET-20%). Neither frequency
nor amount significantly affected yields. Irrigation frequency had more
influence on potato quality than application amount. More frequent irrigation
produced slightly higher quality tubers and lower incidence of
dark-ends when fried. Soil temperature was inversely related to tuber
grade quality and directly related to percentage of sugar-end tubers. Soil
temperature was about 0.5 C lower under the high frequency than under
the low frequency irrigation regime. On these silt loam soils, allowing
available soil water to decline to 50 percent had no adverse affect on yield
or quality.

Item Type:	Article
NWISRL Publication Number:	0817
Subjects:	Mass Import - unclassified
Depositing User:	Dan Stieneke
Date Deposited:	20 Nov 2010 21:53
Last Modified:	01 Dec 2016 20:59
Item ID:	604
URI:	https://eprints.nwisrl.ars.usda.gov/id/eprint/604