Abstract
Surface water runoff from the hill, where potatoes are planted, to the furrow may exacerbate potato drought sensitivity. Planting into furrows and constructing midrow ridges may improve water use efficiency and relieve water stress on potato by directing water toward, not away from, the plants. A 3-year field study was conducted to compare yields and tuber size distributions of furrow- and hill-planted potato (Solanum tuberosum L., ‘Russet Burbank’) on coarse-textured, well-drained soils under sprinkler irrigation. A split-plot experimental design with main plots of row orientation (N-S vs E-W) and subplots of planting method (hill and furrow) combined with two planting depths was used at two central North Dakota sites. Except for planting method and limiting the post-emergence cultivation in the furrow treatments, all cultural practices (fertilizer, irrigation, etc.) were identical and corresponded with conventional practices for hill planted potato. Row orientation did not affect yield for any tuber size category. Averaged over 3 years, furrow-planted potato produced 24% larger tubers (188 vs 151 g), 31% smaller yield for tubers <113 g (4.99 vs 7.21 Mg ha−1), 28% smaller yield for tubers 113 to 170 g (8.14 vs 11.3 Mg ha−1), 8% larger yields for tubers 170 to 283 g (18.0 vs 16.6 Mg ha−1), 103% larger yields for tubers 283 to 454 g (10.9 vs 5.36 Mg ha−1), 341% larger yields for tubers >454 g (2.65 vs 0.60 Mg ha−1), and 10% larger total yields (46.2 vs 41.9 Mg ha−1) compared with hill-planted potato. There were no differences in tuber specific gravity. Preliminary soil water measurements indicated an inter-row water-harvesting effect for furrow planting compared with hill planting. The furrow-planting method may offer significant potential for ameliorating the drought sensitivity of potato.
Resumen
El agua que corre del camellón donde se siembra papa hacia el fondo del surco puede exacerbar la sensibilidad de la planta a la sequía. Sembrando en el fondo de los surcos y construyendo camellones centrales se puede mejorar la efficiencia en el uso del agua y aliviar el estrés si se dirige el agua hacia la planta y no al revés. Durante tres años se realizó un estudio de campo para comparar el rendimiento y distribución del tamaño de los tubérculos en pruebas donde se sembró papa (Solanum tuberosum L. ‘Russet Burbank’) en el surco y en el lomo del surco en suelo de textura gruesa, con buen drenaje y riego por aspersión. Se utilizó el diseño experimental de parcela dividida con la principal orientación de las hileras (N-S vs. E-O) y los métodos de siembra (lomo y surco) de las sub-parcelas combinado con dos profundidades en dos lugares cerca de North Dakota central. Con excepción del método de siembra y limitando las labores de cultivo de post-emergencia en los tratamientos en el surco, todas las labores culturales (fertilización, irrigación) fueron idénticas y correspondieron a las prácticas convencionales para siembra de papa en el lomo del surco. La orientación de las hileras no afectó el rendimiento ni la categoría de tamaño del tubérculo. El promedio de rendimiento de los tres años de papas sembradas en el fondo del surco fue del 24% de tubérculos más grandes (188 vs 151 g), 31% de menor rendimiento para tubérculos de <113 g (4.99 vs 7.21 Mg ha−1), 28% de menor rendimiento para tubérculos de 113 a 170 g (8.14 vs 11.3 Mg ha−1), 8% de mayor rendimiento para tubérculos de 170 a 283 g (18.0 vs 16.6 Mg ha−1), 103% de mayor rendimiento para tubérculos de 283 a 454 g (10.9 vs 5.36 Mg ha−1), 341% de mayor rendimiento para tubérculos >454 g (2.65 vs 0.60 Mg ha−1) y 10% de mayor rendimiento total (46.2 vs 41.9 Mg ha−1) en comparación con papa sembrada en el lomo del surco. No hubo diferencias en la gravedad específica del tubérculo. Las mediciones preliminares del agua del suelo indicaron un efecto del agua entre hileras al momento de la cosecha en comparación con la siembra en el lomo. El método de siembra en el surco puede ofrecer un significativo potencial para mejorar la sensibilidad de la papa a la sequía.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Abbreviations
- EC:
-
electrical conductivity
- E-W:
-
east-west
- FD:
-
furrow planting with deep seed placement
- FS:
-
furrow planting with shallow seed placement
- GLM:
-
general linear model
- HD:
-
hill planting with deep seed placement
- HS:
-
hill planting with shallow seed placement
- LSD:
-
least significant difference
- n:
-
number of paired data points for soil water content sensor calibration or number of sets of readings for soil water content comparisons
- N-S:
-
north-south
- r2 :
-
coefficient of determination
- RMSE:
-
root mean square error between measured and model estimates of θv
- t test p:
-
p-value from a two-tailed, paired-samplet test between θv-grav and θv-HS
- tHS :
-
HydroSense period
- UAN:
-
urea-ammoniumnitrate
- Wa :
-
weight in air
- Ww :
-
weight in water
- θv :
-
volumetric soil water content, cm3 cm−3
- θv-grav :
-
volumetric water content determined by soil coring and oven drying
- θv-HS :
-
volumetric water content readout from the HydroSense soil water content sensor
- γ:
-
specific gravity of potato tubers
Literature cited
Agassi M and GJ Levy. 1993. Effect of the dyked furrow technique on potato yield. Potato Res 36(3): 247–251.
Alva AK, T Hodges, RA Boydston and HP Collins. 2002. Effects of irrigation and tillage practices on yield of potato under high production conditions in the Pacific Northwest. Comm Soil Sci Plant Analysis 33(9–10): 1451–1460.
Arshad M, Z Shah, S Asghar, and Zialluh. 1999. Propagation ofSolanum tuberosum L. cv. Desiree as affected by different methods of planting. Sarhad J Agric 15(5): 427–430.
Bouman A. 1998. Prospects for planting potatoes in chequer form. Landbouwmechanisatie 49(5): 38–39.
Campbell Scientific. 1999. HydroSense Instruction Manual. Campbell Scientific, Logan, UT.
Chow TL and HW Rees. 1994. Effects of potato hilling on water runoff and soil erosion under simulated rainfall. Can J Soil Sci 74:453–460.
Costa LD, GD Vedove, G Gianquinto, R Giovanardi and A Peressotti. 1997. Yield, water use efficiency, and nitrogen uptake in potato: influence of drought stress. Potato Res 40:19–34.
Dean BB. 1994. Managing the Potato Production System. Haworth Press, Binghamton, NY.
Gardner WH. 1986. Water content.In: A Klute (ed), Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 1: Physical and Mineralogical Methods, Agron. No. 9. Am. Soc. Agron., Madison, WI. pp 493–544.
Gupta CR and PN Singh. 1994. Effect of method of planting and fertility levels on yield of potato.In: GS Shekhawat, SMP Khurana and SK Pandey (eds), Potato: Present & Future. Proceedings of the National Symposium held at Modipuram. Indian Potato Assoc, Shimla, India. pp 113–114.
Lewis WC and RG Rowberry. 1973. Some effects of planting depth and time and height of hilling on Kennebec and Sebago potatoes. Am Potato J 50:301–310.
Li XY, JD Dong Gong and XH Wei. 2000. In-situ rainwater harvesting and gravel mulch combination for corn production in the dry semiarid region of China. J Arid Environ 46:371–382.
Li XY, JD Dong Gong, QZ Gao and FR Li. 2001. Incorporation of ridge and furrow method of rainfall harvesting with mulching for crop production under semi-arid conditions. Agric Water Manage 50:173–183.
Lynch DR, N Foroud, GC Kozub and BC Farries. 1995. The effect of moisture stress at three growth stages on the yield, components of yield and processing quality of eight potato varieties. Am Potato J 72(6):375–385.
Mundy C, NG Creamer, CR Crozier and LG Wilson. 1999. Potato production on wide beds: Impact on yield and selected soil physical characteristics. Amer J Potato Res 76:323–330.
Prunty L and R Greenland. 1997. Nitrate leaching using two potato-corn fertilizer plans on sandy soil. Agric Ecosyst Environ 65:1–13.
SAS Institute. 1991. SAS System for Linear Models, 3rd ed. SAS Institute, Inc. Cary, NC.
Saffigna PG, CB Tanner and DR Keeney. 1976. Non-uniform infiltration under potato canopies caused by interception, stemflow, and hilling. Agron J 68:337–342.
Scherer TF, D Franzen, J Lorenzen, A Lamey, D Aakre and DA Preston. 1999. Growing Irrigated Potatoes. Bull. No. AE-1040 (Revised). N Dak St Univ Ext Serv, Fargo, ND.
Shae JB, DD Steele and BL Gregor. 1999. Irrigation scheduling methods for potatoes in the northern Great Plains, USA. Trans ASAE 42(2): 351–360.
Sharma SK and RS Dixit. 1992. Effect of irrigation and planting technique on tuber yield of potato (Solanum tubersosum). Indian J Agron 37(4):763–768.
Sharma SK, RS Dixit and HP Tripathi. 1993. Water management in potato (Solanum tubersosum). Indian J Agron 38(1): 68–73.
Shock CC, JM Barnum and M Seddigh. 1998. Calibration of Watermark soil moisture sensors for irrigation management.In: Proc Int’l Irrigation Show, Irrigation Assoc, San Diego, CA. pp 139–146.
Singh G. 1969. A review of the soil-moisture relationship in potatoes. Am Potato J 46:398–403.
Stieber TD and CC Shock. 1995. Placement of soil moisture sensors in sprinkler irrigated potatoes. Am Potato J 72(9):533–543.
US Dept Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Climatic Data Center. 1982. Monthly Norms of Temperature, Precipitation, and Heating and Cooling Degree Days, 1951–1980; North Dakota. Climatography of the US, No 81.
Waddell JT, SC Gupta, JF Moncrief, CJ Rosen and DD Steele. 2000. Irrigation- and nitrogen-management impacts on nitrate leaching under potato. J Environ Qual 29:251–261.
Whitney, D.A. 1998. Soil salinity.In: Recommended Chemical Soil Test Procedures for the North Central Region. North Central Regional Research Pub 221 (revised). Missouri Ag Expt Sta, Columbia, MO.
Wright JL and JC Stark. 1990. Potato.In: BA Stewart (ed), Irrigation of Agricultural Crops. ASA-CSSA-SSSA, Madison, WI. pp 859–888.
Yang B, PS Blackwell and DF Nicholson. 1996. A numerical model of heat and water movement in furrow-sown water repellent sandy soils. Water Resour Res 32(10): 3051–3061.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Disclaimers: Use of trade names is for informational purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the authors or North Dakota State University.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Steele, D.D., Greenland, R.G. & Hatterman-Valenti, H.M. Furrow vs hill planting of sprinkler-irrigated russet burbank potatoes on coarse-textured soils. Am. J. Pot Res 83, 249–257 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02872161
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02872161