Summary
Minitubers can be produced in large quantities by repeated harvesting of tubers from in vitro propagated plantlets at 4, 7 and 10 weeks after transplanting to the glasshouse at high plant densities. Yield parameters of minitubers can be manipulated by crop husbandry.
By supplying nutrients or using a square plant arrangement, minituber yield increased. Effects on numbers of tubers were cultivar-dependent.
Changing plant density from 50 to 800 plants per m2 or the minimal diameter of harvested tubers from 5 to 12 mm did not significantly affect tuber yield per m2. Higher plant densities resulted in more tubers per m2 but fewer tubers per plant. Removing smaller tubers greatly increased the number of small tubers, but did not affect yield and number of tubers in larger grades.
Crop husbandry techniques affected minituber yield mainly through their effects on leaf area duration, and the number of minitubers through their effects on growth of tubers to a harvestable size.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Bleasdale, J.K.A. & R. Thompson, 1963. Competition studies. Potatoes.Annual Report of the National Vegetable Research Station for 1962: 37–38.
Bodlaender, K.B.A. & A.J. Reestman, 1968. The interaction of nitrogen supply and plant density in potatoes.Netherlands Journal of Agricultural Science 16: 165–176.
Bremner, P.M. & A.K. El Saeed, 1963. The significance of seed size and spacing. In: J.D. Ivins & F. Milthorpe (Eds), The growth of the potato. London, Butterworths, pp. 267–280.
Bremner, P.M. & M.A. Taha, 1966. Studies in potato agronomy I. The effects of variety, seed size and spacing on growth, development and yield.Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 66: 241–252.
Burt, R.L., 1964. Carbohydrate utilization as a factor in plant growth.Australian Journal of Biological Sciences 17: 868–877.
Darwinkel, A., 1978. Patterns of tillering and grain production of winter wheat at a wide range of plant densities.Netherlands Journal of Agricultural Science 26: 383–398.
Gunasena, H.P.M. & P.M. Harris, 1968. The effect of the time of application of nitrogen and potassium on the growth of the second early potato, variety Craig's Royal.Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 71: 283–296.
Gunasena, H.P.M. & P.M. Harris, 1969. The effect of CCC and nitrogen on the growth and yield of the second early potato variety Craig's Royal.Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge, 73: 245–259.
Gunasena, H.P.M. & P.M. Harris, 1971. The effect of CCC, nitrogen and potassium on the growth and yield of two varieties of potatoes.Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 76: 33–52.
Ifenkwe, O.P. & E.J. Allen, 1978. Effects of row width and planting density on growth and yield of two maincrop potato varieties 2. Number of tubers, total and graded yields and their relationships with above-ground stem densities.Journal of Agricultural Science 40: 21–41.
Lommen, W.J.M. & P.C. Struik, 1992b. Production of potato minitubers by repeated harvesting: Plant productivity and initiation, growth and resorption of tubers.Netherlands Journal of Agricultural Science 40 (in press).
Nösberger, J. & E.C. Humphries, 1965. The influence of removing tubers on dry-matter production and net assimilation rate of potato plants.Annals of Botany 29: 579–588.
Proctor, J.M., 1969. Patterns of spatial arrangements of early potatoes.European Potato Journal 12: 238–250.
Ryan, P.F., 1961. Recent studies on potato manuring in Ireland.European Potato Journal 4: 165–173.
Simpson, K., 1962. Effects of soil-moisture tension and fertilizers on the yield, growth and phosphorus uptake of potatoes.Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 13: 236–248.
Struik, P.C. & W.J.M. Lommen, 1990. Production, storage and use of micro- and minitubers. In: D.K.L. MacKerron et al. (Eds), Proceedings of the 11th Triennial Conference of the European Association for Potato Research, Edinburgh, UK, 8–13th July 1990, pp. 122–133.
Svensson, B., 1972. Influence of the place of a stem in the hill on the weight and dry matter content of its tubers.Potato Research 15: 346–353.
Van Burg, P.F.J., 1967. Relation of rate of nitrogen fertilization, seed spacing and seed size to yield of potatoes.Netherlands Nitrogen Technical Bulletin 4: 1–30.
Vander Zaag, P., A.L. Demagante & E.E. Ewing, 1990. Influence of plant spacing on potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) morphology, growth and yield under two contrasting environments.Potato Research 33: 313–323.
Wiersema, S. G., 1986. The effect of density on tuber yield in plants grown from true potato seed in seed beds during two contrasting seasons.American Potato Journal 63: 465–472.
Wurr, D.C.E., 1974. Some effects of seed size and spacing on the yield and grading of two maincrop potato varieties I. Final yield and its relationship to plant population.Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 82: 37–45.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lommen, W.J.M., Struik, P.C. Production of potato minitubers by repeated harvesting: Effects of crop husbandry on yield parameters. Potato Res 35, 419–432 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02357598
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02357598