Summary
The relationships between intercepted solar radiation and dry matter production (total and tubers) were established for four cultivars of different maturity classes and using seed tubers of two physiological ages. The crops were grown in an autumn and a spring season in Tunisia. Radiation use efficiencies were lower in autumn than in spring and the quantity of intercepted radiation at tuber initiation was more than two times greater in autumn than in spring due to retarded tuberization in the autumn caused by the relatively high temperatures. In addition, tuber dry matter, number of stems per plant, tubers per stem and harvest indices were all lower in the autumn than in the spring season which explained why tuber yields in the spring season were higher than in the autumn.
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Fahem, M., Haverkort, A.J. Comparison of the growth of potato crops grown in autumn and spring in North Africa. Potato Res 31, 557–568 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02361845
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02361845