Determination of optimum tuber planting density for production of tubers in processing ware grades in the potato variety Record

Abstract

SUMMARYA series of experiments examining the influences of size and spacing of planted potato tubers (‘seed’ tubers) on tuber yields was conducted at four sites in the UK in 1982–84. A new approach to data analysis was used to estimate the optimum tuber planting density for different ware grades. The optimum density, which maximized returns, decreased with increasing seed tuber weight and ratio of seed-tuber cost to ware value and with lower than average total tuber yields. Changing the required ware grade from 40–65 mm to 40–80 mm had a minimal effect on the optimum tuber planting density.Optimum tuber planting densities were lower than in published recommendations but this disparity appeared to be accounted for by differences in the number of stems produced by each planted tuber. There was some evidence that, with lower seed-tuber weights, the optimum planting density differed with site and that at optimum economic densities small and medium seed tubers outyielded large seed tubers.