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The inhibition of potato sprout growth by light.
Author(s) -
MCGEE E.,
BOOTH R. H.,
JARVIS M. C.,
DUNCAN H. J.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1988.tb03291.x
Subject(s) - darkness , biology , sowing , cultivar , horticulture , yield (engineering) , postharvest , cold storage , agronomy , botany , materials science , metallurgy
SUMMARY In an experiment with eight potato cultivars at Huancayo, Peru, storage of seed tubers in a prototype diffuse‐daylight store resulted in a mean 17% increase in the yield of the subsequent crop, and in more rapid emergence of six of the cultivars after planting, as compared with seed stored in darkness. The dark‐stored seed had very long sprouts that had to be removed at planting. In two experiments at Glasgow, Scotland, seed tubers of four cultivars were stored at a range of temperatures in darkness and artificial light. At the time of planting, some of the light‐stored tubers were desprouted as well as the dark‐stored ones, so that the effect of desprouting could be distinguished from any direct effect of storage in darkness. Desprouting consistently delayed emergence and senescence of the crop and in most cases reduced its yield. In 1983 the yield reduction was greatest in the first early cV. Home Guard after storage at high temperature (22 °C), when it was associated with low stem numbers and incomplete emergence. In 1984 after light storage at still higher temperature (22/33 °C) and desprouting, this cV. behaved similarly, but the corresponding dark‐stored treatment yielded heavily after greatly delayed haulm senescence. CV. Desiree and, in 1984, cV. King Edward retained some apical dominance after storage at the lower temperatures and in some cases responded to desprouting with a small yield increase. In general desprouting after high‐temperature storage reduced yields more than could readily be explained on the basis of the physiological age being reset to zero at planting.