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Yield and Physiological Responses of Potatoes to Deficit, High Frequency Sprinkler Irrigation 1
Author(s) -
Hang A. N.,
Miller D. E.
Publication year - 1986
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/agronj1986.00021962007800030008x
Subject(s) - irrigation , deficit irrigation , agronomy , evapotranspiration , canopy , yield (engineering) , environmental science , crop , soil water , irrigation management , biology , botany , ecology , materials science , soil science , metallurgy
Potatoes ( Solanum tuberosum L.) of high yield and quality can be produced on sandy soil only with adequate irrigation. It is important to know the minimum water requirement and how the crop responds to water stress. The present study was conducted in 1979 and 1980 to determine the effect of irrigation rate on potato performance. Treatments were initiated at full canopy on a sandy soil (mixed, mesic, Xeric Torripsamments) using the line source technique. Daily sprinkler irrigation near the line source was equivalent to 1.15 times estimated evapotranspiration (Et). Water stress symptoms were first observed in plants receiving the least irrigation water (18% Et in 1979 and 21% Et in 1980) 2 weeks after treatments were initiated. These symptoms included reduced plant size, fewer leaves, more dead leaves, and increased specific leaf weight, compared with nonstressed plants. Tuber and top growth rates increased with increasing irrigation, ranging from 2.62 and 17.63 g m 2 day 1 and −0.90 (apparent negative value) to 10.01 g m −2 day −1 , respectively, for the lowest to the highest water application. Partitioning of assimilate to tuber growth decreased with increased irrigation. Results indicate that potatoes grown on sandy soil require irrigation at rates approaching estimated Et if reductions in yield and quality are to be avoided. Increasing irrigation water beyond 100% Et did not increase yields.