44-20 Plant Density and Spacing Effects on Tuber Yeild and Size in Red Potatoes.

Poster Number 119

See more from this Division: Students of Agronomy, Soils and Environmental Sciences (SASES)
See more from this Session: Undergraduate Research Symposium Contest - Poster
Monday, November 3, 2014
Long Beach Convention Center, Exhibit Hall ABC
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Dakota Albertson1, Jared D. Williams1 and Blake Willis2, (1)Brigham Young University Idaho (BYUI), Rexburg, ID
(2)Brigham Young University-Idaho, Rexburg, ID
Potato crops stress when water, soil nutrients, and canopy space are limited.

This study will was conducted to challenge standard potato seed spacing of 91 cm between rows and 23 cm within rows.

The traditional spacing practice can be improved upon, as it does not provide the best conditions for higher yields, higher amounts produced and a smaller, more desirable tuber size. This experiment is being conducted to discern how plant spacing influences the yield, amount and size of tubers produced. Three blocks were created to conduct this experiment, each block consisting of five plots (9 m2). The equidistant arrangements tested were 18 cm by 23 cm, 25 cm by 30.5 cm, 33 cm by 38, and 38 cm by 45.5 cm. The traditional 91 cm row spacing was used as a constant.

Treatments were randomized and tested once in each block. The potatoes were hand planted and the plots were sprayed pre-emergently with the herbicides Sencor, Eptam and Matrix.  In previous experiments yield was higher with closer plant spacing. Data collected in 2008 and 2009 shows that yields came in at 26 and 65 Mg/ha-1 for the control and 51 and 75 Mg/ha-1 for the 18 cm by 23 cm equidistant spacing. The amount of tubers was also higher at closer plant spacing with 4X105 tubers produced in 2008 and 2009 for the control and 8.8X105 tubers produced in 2008 and 12X105 tubers produced in 2009 for the 18 cm by 23 cm equidistant spacing.

When looking at tuber size among the different equidistant spacing’s and control, the 18 cm by 23 cm spacing had the smallest, mean tuber size at 51 g. All in all, based on previous experiments higher yields, amounts and smaller tuber sizes are expected as plant spacing decreases for this experiment.

See more from this Division: Students of Agronomy, Soils and Environmental Sciences (SASES)
See more from this Session: Undergraduate Research Symposium Contest - Poster