Premium
Effect of Some Seed Potato Treatments on Germination and Yield 1
Author(s) -
Stallings J. H.
Publication year - 1929
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1929.00021962002100010008x
Subject(s) - germination , citation , horticulture , yield (engineering) , biology , computer science , library science , physics , thermodynamics
Much has been said from time to time about the proper method of handling seed potatoes before planting in order to obtain maximum yields of good quality potatoes. Some experh-nental work has been conducted to determine the effect of various seed treatments upon the germination of the seed piece, but little effort has been made to follow through to harvest the influence of the various seed treat-ments used upon the yield and quality of the potatoes produced from such treatments. The aim of most investigators thus far has been to discover those practices which lead to high germination of the seed piece which in turn result in good stands. Apparently, they have assumed that the best yields would naturally follow the best stands. Observations made during the spring of ~Pe 7 indicated very clearly that better stands were obtained from planting seed pieces which had been allowed to stand from ~4 to 48 hours after being cut before planting than from planting freshly, cut seed pieces. It was also clearly evident that seed pieces which had been dusted with sulfur did not produce good stands, while, on the other hand, dusting with lime seemed to have a neutral or slightly beneficial effect upon germination. It is generally concededthat one of the first essentials for successful potato growing is the getting of a good stand of potatoes. However, certain observations made in connection with the ~9~7 potato crop led the writer to question whether or not the treatments which resulted in low or high stands would necessarily result in low or high yields of quality potatoes. With these points in mind an experiment was planned for the spring of ~928 for the purpose of determining not only the effects of different treatments of the seed piece on the resulting stand of potatoes but upon the yield and quality of potatoes as well. cause of the fact that it is more difficult to obtain satisfactory stands of potatoes on the lighter, drier soils than on heavier, wetter ones, the experiment was carried out on Norfolk fine sand. An area of Norfolk fine sand, 7o feet by ~ ~o feet, was divided into blocks equal in size and planted to potatoes. The potatoes of each