Abstract
Field studies were conducted in 1991 and 1992 to evaluate the effects of cultivar, row spacing, and within-row spacing on potato yield and quality under weedy and weed-free conditions. Cultivars tested were Russet Burbank, an indeterminate, large-vined cultivar, and Frontier Russet, a determinate, small-vined cultivar. The two cultivars were grown under weedy and weedfree conditions with either 76 or 91 cm row spacings in factorial combination with either 15, 25, or 35 cm within-row spacings. The major competitive weeds were redroot pigweed, common lambsquarter and hairy nightshade. The weedy plots consistently produced less vine and tuber biomass and less total and U.S. No. 1 tuber yield than the weed-free plots. The time of weed emergence strongly affected potato competitiveness with weeds. In 1991, weeds emerged after potatoes, giving the crop some competitive advantage. In 1992, weeds emerged before the potatoes, resulting in heavy competition and large decreases in vine and tuber production for both cultivars. Reductions in U.S. No. 1 tuber yield were proportionally greater than the reductions in total yield. Weedy plots in 1991 and 1992 produced 25% and 68% less total yield and 43% and 92% less U.S. No. 1 yield, respectively, than weed-free plots. Russet Burbank was more competitive with weeds than Frontier Russet. Frontier Russet suffered substantial losses in productivity due to the presence of weeds, even under moderate weed pressure in 1991. Decreasing the row width from 91 to 76 cm did not provide a competitive advantage for potatoes as measured by vine or tuber biomass, or tuber yield. Decreasing within-row spacing under weedy conditions provided some competitive advantage and resulted in higher vine and tuber biomass and greater total tuber yield. The closer within-row spacing resulted in a substantial decrease in U.S. No. 1 yield with Russet Burbank but a slight increase with Frontier Russet. There were several significant interactions involving cultivar, weed level, and within-row spacing. These were due, in part, to each cultivar’s unique response to inter-and intraspecies competition. Cultivar had a greater influence on competitiveness than any plant spatial arrangement.
Compendio
En 1991 y 1992, se condujeron estudios de campo para evaluar los efectos del cultivar, y del espaciamiento entre surcos y entre semillas sobre el rendimiento y la calidad de la papa en presencia y ausencia de malezas. Los cultivares probados fueron Russet Burbank, un cultivar indeterminado de gran follaje, y Frontier Russet, un cultivar determinado de pequeño follaje. Los dos cultivares fueron mantenidos en presencia y en ausencia de malezas, con 76 o 91 cm entre surcos, en una combinación factorial con 15, 25 o 35 cm entre semillas. Las principales malezas competidoras fueron el amaranto verde (Amaranthus retroflexus), el quenopodio común (Chenopodium album) y la hierba mora velluda (Solanum sp.). Las parcelas con malezas produjeron consistentemente un menor follaje y biomasa de tubérculos y un menor rendimiento total y de tubérculos U.S. No. 1 que las parcelas sin malezas. El momento de emergencia de las malezas afectó fuertemente la competencia de la papa con las mismas. En 1991, las malezas emergieron después de las papas, dando al cultivo cierta ventaja de competencia. En 1992, las malezas emergieron antes que las papas, dando lugar a una fuerte competencia y gran reducción en el follaje y en la producción de tubérculos de ambos cultivares. Las reducciones en los rendimientos de tubérculos U.S. No. 1 fueron proporcionalmente mayores que las reducciones en los rendimiento totales. En 1991 y 1992, las parcelas con malezas produjeron rendimientos totales 25% y 68% menores, y 43% y 92% menos en tubérculos U.S. No. 1 que las parcelas libres de malezas, respectivamente. Al competir con las malezas. Russet Burbank fue mejor que Frontier Burbank. Frontier Burbank sufrió pérdidas considerables en productividad debido a la presencia de las malezas, incluso bajo una presión moderada de éstas en 1991. Disminuyendo el ancho del surco de 91 a 76 cm no se logró para las papas ventaja alguna de competencia, usando como medida el desarrollo del follaje o la biomasa de tubérculos, o el rendimiento total. La disminución del espacio entre semillas dentro del surco, bajo la presencia de malezas, proveyó cierta ventaja de competencia dando por resultado un mayor follaje y una mayor biomasa de tubérculos, así como también un mayor rendimiento total. Cuanto menor fue el espacio entre semillas dentro del surco, sustancialmente menor fue el rendimiento de Russet Burbank en tubérculos U.S. No. 1, pero para Frontier Burbank hubo un pequeño incremento. Hubo varias interacciones significativas incluyendo al cultivar, nivel de malezas y espacio entre semillas dentro del surco. Estas se debieron, en parte, a la respuesta particular de cada cultivar a la competencia entre y dentro de las especies. El cultivar tuvo una mayor influencia sobre la competencia que cualquier arreglo de espacio de las plantas.
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Paper No. 93766 of the Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station.
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Love, S.L., Eberlein, C.V., Stark, J.C. et al. Cultivar and seedpiece spacing effects on potato competitiveness with weeds. American Potato Journal 72, 197–213 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02855036
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02855036