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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Effect of whole seed tubers, cut seed and within row spacing on potato (cv. Sebago) tuber yield

PC Strange and KW Blackmore

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 30(3) 427 - 431
Published: 1990

Abstract

Whole seed potato tubers in the size ranges 35-100 g, 101-150 g and 35-150 g were compared with cut seed and a mixed run grade of both whole 35-100 g tubers and cut seed, at within row spacings of 25 and 33.3 cm in rows 81.3 cm wide, at Healesville, Ballarat and Warragul districts in 1986-87 and 1987-88. Whole 35-250 g tubers and 40 cm within row spacing were also included in experiments at Healesville during the 2 seasons. The mean total tuber yield from planting whole 35-150 g tubers (47.9 t/ha) was significantly higher than from planting Run grade seed [44.9 t/ha, 1.s.d. (P=0.05)=2.0]. Yields of 35-100 g and 101-150 g tubers were also significantly higher with plantings of whole seed compared with Cut or Run seed. The mean yield of tubers >250 g was significantly higher from planting Run grade seed (12.0 t/ha) than whole 35-150 g tubers [9.7 t/ha, 1.s.d. (P=0.05)=1.8]. Increasing the within row spacing from 25 to 33.3 or 40 cm significantly increased the yield of tubers >250 g and significantly reduced the yield of 101-150 g tubers. The effect on yield of 35-100 g, 151-250 g tubers and total tuber yield was variable. The mean multiplication rate (total yield/seed planting rate) from plantings of 101-150 g whole seed was significantly lower than from plantings of Cut and Run seed but was increased significantly with plantings of whole 35-100 g seed. Increasing the within row spacing significantly increased the multiplication rate and values from 1 environment were 17.2 at 25 cm, 22.2 at 33.3 cm and 24.6 at 40 cm [l.s.d. (P=0.05)=1.5]. The mean number of tubers per plant was significantly higher from plantings of whole seed (8.0-9.1) than from Cut or Run grade seed [6.8-7.1, 1.s.d. (P=0.05)=0.4] and was increased significantly by increasing the within row spacings from 25 to 33.3 or 40 cm.

https://doi.org/10.1071/EA9900427

© CSIRO 1990

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