1,4-Dimethylnaphthalene treatment of seed potatoes affects tuber size distribution

Abstract

1,4-DMN is a relatively new sprout inhibitor for use on maincrop and seed potatoes. Despite its registration as a “dormancy enhancer” for seed, relatively little is known about its effects on plant establishment and productivity. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of 1,4-DMN on the productivity of seed potatoes. ‘Umatilla Russet’ (UR), ‘Ranger Russet’ (RR), and ‘Russet Burbank’ (RB) seed tubers were stored at 4, 7, and 9 C over three seasons to create 80-, 554- and 642-degree-day seed, and 1,4-DMN was applied to maintain dormancy several times during each season. 1,4-DMN residue levels at the end of storage were lower in seed aged at higher temperatures. Multiple applications of 1,4-DMN at higher-than-label rates were necessary to effectively inhibit sprouting of seed of all cultivars stored above 4 C. In field trials, depending on cultivar and year, 1,4-DMN either delayed plant emergence slightly or had no effect. 1,4-DMN increased stem numbers from RB and UR seed, but not from RR seed. 1,4-DMN reduced total tuber yields by 3.2 to 5.6 t ha−1 (5% to 9%), and U.S. No. 1 tuber yields by 4.8 to 7.8 t ha−1 (8% to 15%) in all cultivars, regardless of seed tuber age. 1,4-DMN also reduced the average tuber weight for all three cultivars and shifted the size distribution from larger (> 284 g) to smaller tubers. 1,4-DMN reduced the respective yields of > 397-g, 340-to 397-g, and 284-to 340-g tubers by 43%, 19%, and 18% for RR seed, 31%, 14%, and 11% for RB seed, and 40%, 47%, and 27% for UR seed. Conversely, depending on cultivar, yields of smaller tubers (≤170 g) were 11% to 38% higher from 1,4-DMN-treated seed. The shift in tuber size distribution for RR was accompanied by a 1,4-DMN-induced increase in tuber number per plant and per hectare. However, no such effects on tuber set occurred in RB and UR. Moreover, in most cases, the 1,4-DMN effects on yield and tuber size distribution were independent of seed age. Since the 1,4-DMN-induced shifts in tuber size distribution were greater than the reductions in total and U.S. No. 1 yields, 1,4-DMN may be a suitable treatment to reduce average tuber size and increase yield and uniformity of specific size classes of tubers to more closely match market requirements.