Effect of Soil Type, Hilling Time, and Weed Interference on Potato (Solanum tuberosum) Development and Yield

Abstract

‘Atlantic’ and ‘Russet Burbank’ potato cultivars were grown on mineral and organic soils either with or without weeds and were hilled at two stages of potato development (potatoes cracking through the soil and potatoes 30 cm tall). A single hilling procedure was not adequate in either year for full-season weed control. Early hilling suppressed weeds and increased tuber yields more than conventional hilling on mineral soils in 1988 only. Early hilling tended to increase the relative biomass of C4weeds compared to C3weeds for both soils. Weeds reduced aboveground potato biomass on mineral and muck soils. However, reduced aboveground potato biomass measurements did not predict tuber yield reductions. Marketable yield of Russet Burbank potato was reduced by weed interference more than the yield of Atlantic on mineral soils when planted according to conventional cultural practices. However, the marketable yield of Atlantic potato was reduced more than Russet Burbank yield by weeds on muck soils. Weed interference influenced tuber quality on both mineral and muck soil.