Abstract
Irrigation is required for profitable commercial potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production. Excessive or deficit soil water availability during the growing season can have adverse effects on tuber yield, quality, and storability. A field study was conducted during the 2018 and 2019 field and storage seasons in Central Wisconsin, a region in the U.S. with a high volume of potato production, to evaluate the impacts of different irrigation rates on three chipping potato varieties, Hodag, Lamoka, and Snowden. The treatments were implemented during the late-tuber bulking and tuber maturation growth stages, and consisted of irrigation at 125%, 100%, 75%, and 50% of crop evapotranspiration (ET). Irrigation before the treatment period was at 100%ET for all plots. With the industry standard irrigation practice being at 100%ET, other treatments were designated as over-irrigation or deficit irrigation. The impact of these watering rates on tuber yield and quality was evaluated at harvest, and tuber storage quality was assessed by measuring chip fry color and sugar concentrations at 0, 4, and 8 months of storage. It was found that compared to the standard practice, the over-irrigation treatment at 125%ET when tubers reached late bulking resulted in no significant increase in total yield, marketable yield, tuber quality at harvest and during storage, as well as reduced irrigation efficiency (IE) and water-use efficiency (WUE). This treatment also increased nitrate leaching potential in both years. In comparison, deficit irrigation at 75%ET or even 50%ET during the late season had no impact on tuber growth, could increase IE and WUE in one of the two years, and showed reduced drainage. In both years, irrigation rate had no significant effects on hollow heart incidence, tuber specific gravity at harvest, and fry quality during the 8-month storage period. This study suggested that over-irrigation was not beneficial for potato production in Central Wisconsin of the U.S., and deficit irrigation during late tuber bulking and tuber maturation stages could potentially result in more sustainable water use while not penalizing tuber yield, quality and storability of chipping potatoes.
Highlights
Water is the most important compound in an active plant and constitutes more than 80% of the growing tissue [1]
For potatoes grown in Wisconsin, the period between 1 May and 1 July is the most critical for tuber sprouting, tuber initiation and early tuber bulking, all of which are directly correlated with final tuber yield and quality
Hassan et al [28] examined the effects of deficit irrigation at different potato growth stages in Bangladesh and found that in both years of the study, deficit irrigation at the tuber maturation stage resulted in higher yield compared with the treatment with no deficit irrigation
Summary
Water is the most important compound in an active plant and constitutes more than 80% of the growing tissue [1]. Wisconsin ranks as No 3 in the U.S for its potato production, and the Central Sands region produces the majority of the state’s potatoes [3,4]. Most of the irrigation water in the Central Sands is derived from groundwater. The impact of irrigation on depth of groundwater has become increasingly scrutinized in recent years [6]. Groundwater is a critical resource that must be preserved for long-term viability of the potato and vegetable industry and the local economy, and efficient water management will be crucial for preservation of the invaluable groundwater resource in this region [7]
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