The effects of consolidating the soil beneath potato seed tubers and of inter-row grubbing on the growth and yield of the crop

Abstract

1. Three experiments designed to investigate the effects of consolidation and aeration of soil beneath potato seed tubers before planting, and inter-row grubbing after planting, on the growth and yield of potatoes are described and the results discussed.2. Consolidation of furrows beneath seed tubers by tractor wheels at planting had no effect on total weight of ware-size tubers produced but increased the weight of mis-shapen waresize tubers. It is argued that this effect was related to soil moisture content and tilth at planting time.