Seedlot Handling and Tuber Yield Loretta Mikitzel, PhD, PAg NB Department of Agriculture,...

Seedlot Handling and Tuber Yield

Loretta Mikitzel, PhD, PAgNB Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and

Fisheries

New Brunswick Potato Conference and Trade ShowFebruary 5, 2015

2014 Seed Handling demonstrations

• Seedlot comparison

• Seed warming and precutting

• New Brunswick Canadian Potato Industry Transformation Initiative – Seed Group

Seedlot Comparison

• 9 different 2013 seedlots

• Russet Burbank E3 and E4

• Richmond to Drummond parishes

• Received in Wicklow on March 28, 2014

• To evaluate physiological age, tubers held at 18°C in the dark

April 25, 2014

12

3

April 25, 2014

54

6

April 25, 2014

7 8

9

Warm vs cold

• Divided each seedlot in half

• May 5, 2014 – cut half of each seed lot, treated with Maxim, stored at 10°C until planting (warm)

• Half of each lot stored at 4°C until May 27, 2014 then cut, treated and stored at 10°C until planting (cold)

• June 2, 2014 planted at Bloomfield in a processing field

At planting June 2, 2014

July 8, 2014 Seedlot # 1

Warm Cold

July 8, 2014 Seedlot #2

Warm Cold


Warm Cold


Warm Cold

Lot # 9

July 21, 2014

Seedlot # 3

Warm Cold Warm Cold

Seedlot # 6

August 15, 2014

Stems per plant

Seedlot # Warm Cold

1 3.0 3.1

2 2.9 2.5

3 4.0 2.8

4 3.0 2.7

5 2.3 4.6

6 3.5 3.4

7 3.7 3.7

8 2.9 3.2

9 3.3 4.0

Total Yield (cwt/A) Warm = 350 cwt/ACold = 312 cwt/A

Top killed September 16, 2014 harvested September 24, 2014

Marketable Yield (cwt/A)Warm = 281 cwt/ACold = 260 cwt/A

Tubers per plant

Seedlot # Warm Cold

1 11.0 7.7

2 9.3 9.5

3 12.1 8.9

4 10.3 8.4

5 9.9 13.5

6 11.7 11.5

7 9.5 9.5

8 8.1 9.7

9 9.1 11.1

Crop Value ($/acre)

+ $952 + $742

+ $576

+ $1,011 + $808

Crop Value ($/acre)

- $299 - $71

- $532

- $624

Seedlot Comparison

• Most seedlots benefit from warming seed before planting– More rapid emergence– More uniform emergence– Higher yield– Greater value

• Some seedlots warming for 4 weeks at 10°C before planting not beneficial

• Know the condition of your seedlot

Seed Warming Demonstration

• Russet Burbank • Innovator

• Determined crop value after warming and precutting seed

• Planted June 3, 2014 • Planted at McCain Research Farm, Greenfield

Seed Warming Treatments

Cold whole seed 4°C , 10°C 6 days before planting

Warm whole seed 10 °C for 26 days before planting

Precut 40 days Cut, held 10°C for 40 days before planting




Cold cut 6 days 4°C , then cut and 10°C 6 days before planting

Warmed 2 weeks + cut 6 days Held at 10°C for 2 weeks, cut 6 days before planting

Emergence (%) – Russet Burbank

Emergence (%) - Innovator

Russet Burbank July 3, 2014

Cold Whole Warmed whole Cold cut 6d warmed 2 wks+ cut 6 d

Innovator July 3, 2014

Cold Whole Warmed wholeCold cut 6d warmed 2 wks

+ cut 6 d


CW WW 40 d 33 d 26 d 19 d Ccut 6d

Innovator August 13, 2014

CW WW 40 d 33 d 26 d 19 d Ccut 6d

Days after planting to flowering

Russet Burbank Innovator

Cold whole seed 54 50

Warm whole seed 44 43

Precut 40 days 44 43




Cold cut 6 days 52 50

Warmed 2 weeks + cut 6 days

52 50

Marketable yield – Russet Burbank

Value ($/A) – Russet Burbank

Marketable yield - Innovator

Value ($/A) – Innovator

Seed Warming Demonstration

• Russet Burbank and Innovator benefit from precutting and warming seed – Precut and store at 10°C 26 to 33 days before

planting

• Highest yield and crop value with precut seed

• Lowest yield and crop value when seed held at 4°C until planting warmed for 6 days before planting

2015 seed trials

• Repeat seedlot comparison

• Repeat seed warming trial – Reduce the holding temperature to 7°- 8°C instead

of 10°C

Acknowledgements

• Seed growers who donated samples

• McCain Research Farm crew

Seedlot Handling and Tuber Yield Loretta Mikitzel, PhD, PAg NB Department of Agriculture,...

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