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Irrigation Regime Effects on Some Physiological Responses of Potato 1
Author(s) -
Shimshi D.,
Shalhevet J.,
Meir T.
Publication year - 1983
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/agronj1983.00021962007500020025x
Subject(s) - irrigation , photosynthesis , agronomy , solanum tuberosum , soil water , water potential , leaf area index , horticulture , chemistry , biology , botany , ecology
Potato is relatively sensitive to water stress, and therefore indices for characterizing the degree of water stress and its relation to tuber yield are sought. During a series of field irrigation experiments on potatoes ( Solanum tuberosum L.) conducted on a calcic haploxeralf in the Negev region of Israel, data were collected on leaf permeability (LP), leaf and tuber water potential (Ψ 1 and Ψ 1 , respectively) and photosynthetic rate, with the aim of relating the variables to a range of water stresses caused by the ratio irrigation/evaporation (K p ). Leaf permeability was linearly related to Ψ 1 , which ranged from −0.7 kJ kg −1 in well irrigated plants to −1.4 kJ kg −1 in severely water‐stressed plants. Tuber water potential, Ψ 1 , was higher by 0.4 to 0.7 kJ kg −1 than Ψ 1 , the difference increasing with water stress. In trickle‐irrigated plants, Ψ 1 of tubers growing in dry soil was lower by 0.06 to 0.12 kJ kg −1 than Ψ 1 of tubers growing in wet soil, even though the tubers were attached to the same stem. Photosynthesis increased with LP up to 0.8 mg CO 2 m −2 sec −1 and declined with plant age independently of LP. Marketable yield was well related to both seasonal LP and Ψ 1 , all three variables decreased when K p dropped below 1.0. Leaf permeability seems to be a better index than leaf water potential for the characterization of water stress of potato in the field.