Russet Burbank Potatoes Research Articles

Effect of temperature and latent viruses on atypical ring rot symptoms of Russet Burbank potatoes

The ring rot bacterium,Corynebacterium sepedonicum (Spieck. and Kotth.) Skapt. and Burkh. [Clavibacter michiganense subsp.sepedonicum (Spieck et Kotth.) Davis et al.], and latent potato viruses (potato virus S and potato virus X) were investigated for their effect on atypical (ATYP) ring rot symptom development on Russet Burbank potato plants at different temperatures. Plants grown at 21 C from stem cuttings root-inoculated withC. sepedonicum developed typical wilting and chlorotic symptoms of ring rot that were equally severe on virus-free (VF) and virus-infected (VI) plants. All VF and VI plants grown at 15 C from inoculated stem cuttings exhibited ATYP symptoms that included extreme stunting, resetting, and chlorotic symptoms of ring rot. More severe ATYP symptoms developed on VI than on VF plants. Up to 5 wk after inoculation withC. sepedonicum, ATYP symptom severity ratings of both VF and VI plants increased and declined thereafter. The ATYP severity ratings were highly correlated with fresh weight of plants with high severity ratings being associated with low fresh weights. These results emphasize the need to determine the role of temperature and viral pathogens on ring rot symptomology in existing and newly developed potato cultivars and thereby enable better field detection of bacterial ring rot.

Influence of mefluidide on tuber development, maturity, and storage of Russet Burbank and Norland potatoes

Mefluidide {N-[2,4-dimethyl-5-[[(trifluoromethyl) sulfonyl] amino] phenyl] -acetamide}, a chemical with plant growth regulator properties, was applied to the foliage of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) in field experiments to determine its effects on tuber development, maturity, and storage of the cultivars Russet Burbank and Norland. The rate of sucrose loss before harvest was reduced in mefluidide-treated plants. Total and marketable yields generally were lower in treated plants. Specific gravity tended to increase in Russet Burbank with application rates up to 1.0 kg ai/ha mefluidide. Preharvest treatments of mefluidide resulted in an increase in periderm thickness and russeting. However, weight loss during storage was greater in tubers from treated plants. Less sprouting occurred in storage in tubers from mefluidide-treated plants. Mefluidide resulted in a lower anthocyanin content and consequently an undesirable color change in Norland tubers.

Specific gravity of Russet Burbank potatoes

Variability in specific gravity of Russet Burbank potatoes was documented in a single 32 hectare field. Maximum variation was 40 units among individual tubers within hills (one unit equals one part in 1000th of specific gravity measurement) and 15 units among hills. Field site variability of 10–15 units was common between sampled grid lines in the field; but bulked samples (truckloads) reduced the sampled variability to 8–10 units. When the samples were taken from bulked lots as opposed to single hill samples, the variability decreased. Grower lots, which were pooled samples from several truckloads, showed specific gravity differences of 2–7 units even though all lots were from the same field. These variations among specific gravity samples should be taken into account when considering total solids content in any lot of potatoes.

Maximum potential potato yield in the Columbia Basin, USA: Model and measured values

Maximum yields of potato tubers for growing conditions in the Columbia Basin, Washington, USA were estimated using two methods. The first was based on experimental data from a large number of experiments conducted each year from 1959 through 1973 with Russet Burbank potatoes. The highest yielding plots each year were selected, and boundary analysis was used to determine the relationship between growing season length and maximum yield. Maximum yield was found to be related to growing season length by Y = D - 36 where Y is tuber yield in t/ha and D is days since planting. The second method was based on a model which assumes that dry matter production of a crop is proportional to intercepted radiation. This model has been validated for Scottish growing conditions. The solar radiation conversion efficiency for Russet Burbank potatoes under Columbia Basin conditions was found to be 1.35 g/MJ, using boundary analysis. The model gave better agreement between predicted and measured boundary values than did the simpler model based only on growing season length. Agreement was better, particularly at the end of the growing season when days were shorter and cooler than in the summer. Maximum measured yield was 124 t/ha. The simple model predicted maximum yields around 160 t/ha, while the MW model predicted maximum values around 140 t/ha.

The influence of physiological age, stem numbers and fertility on yield and grade of Russet Burbank potatoes

The present study was initiated to determine if increased stem numbers produced by physiologically older seed can be compensated for by increased fertilizer rate. Seed tubers held for 2 months at 16 C (physiological older seed) which averaged 3.7 main stems were compared in yield parameters to physiologically younger seed kept at 4 C (average 2.4 stems). The comparison was made at three levels of fertilizer 0, 140, and 280 kg/ha of nitrogen applied in a 16:16:16 (N-P2O5-K2O) formulation. Seed size and spacing were equal. Total and U.S. No. 1 yield were significantly higher for the younger seed. The greatest difference was that the younger seed at 140 kg/ha fertilizer yielded significantly more large size (over 280 g size) tubers than the older seed at equal to or double (280 kg/ha) the fertilizer rate indicating that additional fertilizer was not sufficient to overcome the effects of higher stem numbers from older seed. On the other hand, the older seed produced significantly higher yield of the undesirable small sizes.

C4‐Heptenal: An Influential Volatile Compound in Boiled Potato Flavor

ABSTRACTAnalysis of headspace volatile concentrates from freshly boiled Russet Burbank potatoes revealed a variety of lipid oxidation products including t2,c6‐nonadienal which is further degraded to c4‐heptenal through a water‐mediated retro‐aldol condensation reaction. Dilute aqueous solutions of c4‐heptenal exhibited boiled potato‐like aromas, and at relatively high concentrations (greater than 0.7 ppb) added c4‐heptenal contributed distinct staling‐type flavor defects to both fresh, mashed potatoes and reconstituted dehydrated potatoes. When added at levels between 0.1–0.4 ppb, c4‐heptenal enhanced overall earthy, potato‐like flavors in freshly boiled mashed potatoes, but these levels caused stale flavors in reconstituted dehydrated potatoes.

Standardizing Measurement of Rheological Properties of Cooked Russet Burbank Potatoes

ABSTRACT POTATOES are a staple food in the United States and many other countries. Russet Burbank is the principal potato cultivar processed commercially in the United States. Because texture and flavor of cooked potatoes are important attributes that affect consumer acceptance and because flavor can be modified by seasonings, cooked potato texture is the critical attribute that needs to be controlled to meet consumer satisfaction. Knowledge of basic engineering properties of potatoes offers potential for developing controls to consistently acheive desirable cooked potato texture. Raw product engineering properties related by reaction kinetic relationships to cooked product properties can provide the needed mechanism for predicting proper processing conditions. Then fundamental properties of the cooked potatoes, a measure of the processed product quality, can provide feedback control for processing operations. Fundamental engineering properties of cooked potatoes are loading-rate dependent; therefore, they are called rheological properties. Rheological properties of cooked potatoes are affected by within-tuber, among-tuber, and cooking-time variations (Davis et al., 1983; Leung et al., 1983). Large variations in reported values indicate that standard test conditions must be established before consistent results can be obtained and before useful comparisons can be made among research results. The purpose of this research was to establish standard procedures for measuring rheological properties of cooked Russet Burbank potatoes. Specific objectives were to: 1. Determine the effects of tuber variability and testing procedures on measured rheological parameters, and 2. Establish testing procedures that minimize measurment variability

Effects of relative humidity, oxygen, and carbon dioxide on initiation and early development of stolons and tubers

Russet Burbank potatoes were grown in the greenhouse to explore the effects of soil O2, CO2, and relative humidity on tuberization. The composition of the gas phase surrounding the below ground stem and stolons was controlled at various levels. Prolonged levels of CO2 greater than 5% produced large lenticels and, in combination with high relative humidity suppressed the number of stolons. Oxygen levels of 5% or less in prolonged contact with the stolons and underground portion of the stem were favorable to stem decay by pathogens but did not affect lenticel size. Isolating the stolons in a low relative humidity environment delayed tuber set, but increased the number of tubers per plant. This effect of low humidity suggests that the onset of tuberization involves at least two inductive factors, one of which is not translocated among stolons.

Freeing Russet Burbank potato plants from ring rot by stem cutting and tuber propagation

Apical stem cuttings removed from potato plants (cv. Russet Burbank) infected withCorynebacterium sepedonicum and expressing mild symptoms of bacterial ring rot were demonstrated to be free from the pathogen. This material remained free of ring rot through two additional stem cutting generations and when grown in the field for four successive tuber generations.

Response of Russet Burbank potatoes to soil fumigation and nitrogen fertilizers

Two field studies were conducted to determine the effects of soil fumigation on the response of Russet Burbank potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) to NH4-N or NH4NO3 fertilizers. In one study fumigation increased yields but N source had no effect. In the other study fumigation had no effect but NH4-N provided higher yields than NH4NO3. Microbial studies indicated that although populations of nitrifying bacteria were initially altered by fumigation, nitrification rates were similar to those in non-fumigated soil. In a controlled environment study in which potatoes were grown in fumigated field soil, neither N source nor fumigation had any effect on growth or yield. These studies indicated that fumigation had no effect on the response of potatoes to NH4-N or NH4NO3 fertilizers.

Approaches to control of potato early dying caused byVerticillium dahliae

Potato early dying disease, caused byVerticillium dahliae, may be either suppressed or controlled by a variety of procedures. These methods include the growing of resistant cultivars, attention to cultural management, utilization of pesticides, and solar heating of soils. The greatest successes in control of Verticillium wilt have been achieved with the use of either soil fumigants or clonal resistance, but these approaches have been restricted. Widespread use of fumigants has been limited by cost, and the lack of commercial acceptance has often restricted the utilization of resistant potato cultivars. The Katahdin and Targhee cultivars are currently available with resistance and/or tolerance to this disease. The Russet Burbank potato also possesses a limited degree of resistance to the fungus, and with this resistance, the disease appears to be suppressed by optimal growing conditions. In potato fields that have been cropped for several years, disease suppression in Russet Burbank was found to be related to methods of irrigation and increased nitrogen availability. It is suggested that improved utilization of resistant germplasm and effective use of biological control strategies may ultimately lead to economical control of this disease.

Nitrogen Uptake Patterns of Potatoes with High‐Frequency Sprinkler‐Applied N Fertilizer1

AbstractIn order to understand utilization of N by Russet Burbank, a commonly grown indeterminate potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivar, it is necessary to determine the partitioning of N in the plant. Fertilizer N efficiency is closely related to the latter. The objective of this research was to examine differences in N uptake patterns of Russet Burbank potatoes with N applied at excessive, adequate, and deficient levels in daily sprinkler irrigation. The N levels were selected on the basis of statistical significance of yield response to N fertilization. Experiments in 1980 and 1981 were done on a Quincy sand to loamy sand (mixed, mesic, Xeric Torripsamments) typical of coarse‐textured soils used for potato production in the Western United States. Daily mid‐season applications of a urea‐NH4NO3 solution were made for about 10 weeks through solid set sprinklers. Samples of vines and tubers were collected weekly and analyzed for total N. To show partitioning and time changes of vine and tuber N, regression curves were fitted to data for N uptake with time after emergence. Rate of N uptake functions were derived and used to determine N sink dominance by vines or tubers. At fertilizer rates greater than adequate for optimum tuber yield, the excess N showed up as increased N in vines and tubers with vines as the dominant N sink. At adequate and deficient N levels tubers were dominant N sinks, however, the deficient plants did not have a sufficient N supply for optimum yield. A desirable N uptake pattern is associated with the following: (i) A fertilizer N level that is adequate such that tuber yield and economic return on fertilizer investment are optimized which is about 340 kg N/ha for these experiments and (ii) The tubers express N uptake dominance (highest rate) from the start of rapid tuber development causing peak quantity of vine N uptake in the first one‐third to one‐half of the post‐emergent growth period.

Effect of water stress during tuber formation on subsequent growth and internal defects in Russet Burbank potatoes

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of early season water stress on yield, quality, and internal disorders of Russet Burbank potatoes grown on sandy soil. There were trends for decreased internal disorders early in the season as the water stress increased. However, these trends did not persist. At harvest in mid-September there was no consistent association between internal disorders of U.S. No. 1 tubers and early season irrigation treatments. Yield, grade, and specific gravity were affected to a minor degree by the treatments.

Thin layer air drying of French fried potatoes

Summary A drying system was designed and constructed to investigate the thin layer air drying of French fried Russet Burbank potatoes. This system permitted the weight loss of the sample to be monitored accurately and continuously without removal of the sample from the drying chamber. Constant drying conditions over a practical range were maintained by continuous control using an on-line computer. The drying conditions investigated in this study included dry bulb temperature ranging from 43 to 93C, relative humidity ranging from 10 to 60%, and air velocity ranging from 0.79 to 1.77 m/sec. A logarithmic model was used to describe the drying curve. The factors affecting drying rate are discussed. The dry bulb temperature had a dominant effect at low relative humidity, whereas at high relative humidity other factors also affected the drying rate. Relative humidity affected the drying rate significantly, while air velocity had the least effect on the drying rate. The drying rate constant in the logarithmic model was correlated with relative humidity, dry bulb temperature and airflow rate and a good fit was obtained.

Relationships of defined PVX infection levels to verticillium wilt, yield, and quality of the Russet Burbank potato

Field studies were conducted over a three-year period to investigate effects of potato virus X (PVX) on the Russet Burbank potato cultivar. Seed (PVX-free and PVX-infected) used for this three-year study originated from the same PVX-free source and was grown and stored under similar conditions. PVX-free seed was found to increase yield over PVX-infected plots by 9 to 32%. With these yield benefits, effects of PVX on either the incidence of verticillium wilt or plant nutrition were not significant. There was a trend (P = 0.10) for a reduction of mean tuber weight when the PVX infection level exceeded 19%. Because of increases of undersized potatoes, the yields of U.S. #1 potatoes were reduced as levels of PVX infection were increased. With a PVX infection level of 36%, the yield of U.S. #1 tubers was reduced by 21% when compared with plots having 0% PVX. At an 88% infection level, the yield of U.S. #l’s was reduced still further (36% lower than plots with 0% PVX). Results demonstrate the importance of the level of PVX infection to potato production.

Viruses associated with mosaic symptoms in Russet Burbank potato

Viruses associated with mosaic symptoms in Russet Burbank potato

Root deterioration in the potato early dying syndrome: Causes and effects of root biomass reductions associated with colonization byVerticillium dahliae

Russet Burbank potatoes were grown in the greenhouse in a split-root culture system to assess the impact of pathogens associated with the Potato Early Dying Syndrome (PED) on root deterioration. Plants were grown with all, half, or none of the root system in steamed soil infested withVerticillium dahliae, or in field soil infested withV. dahliae and other PED pathogens. The direct impact of pathogens on root deterioration versus indirect effects resulting from premature senescence of the whole plant was evaluated. Root biomass did not differ significantly between root halves from the same plant in infested and uninfested soil. Root biomass from plants with both halves of the root system in uninfested soil was usually greater than from plants with one or both halves growing in infested soil. Root biomass decreased rapidly after plant stems were inoculated with conidial suspensions ofV. dahliae. Root deterioration in PED was associated with premature senescence of foliar tissue and occurred independently of root colonization by root-colonizing pathogens.

Factors influencing incidence of internal brown spot in Russet Burbank potatoes

Studies were conducted to determine factors influencing incidence of internal brown spot (IBS) in Russet Burbank potatoes. A significant decrease in the incidence of IBS occurred as planting date was delayed from March 31 to May 12. IBS increased during storage particularly at the higher storage temperature and in larger tubers. Foliar application of maleic hydrazide (MH) significantly reduced IBS from a high of 33% of tubers to less than 10%. The incidence of IBS in tubers was lower in the field as well as in storage from plants sprayed with MH. Tubers with high specific gravity had greater incidence of IBS than low gravity tubers. Results indicate that IBS is a physiological disorder influenced by factors affecting growth of tubers.

Soil oxygen and moisture in relation to Russet Burbank potato yield and quality

On a Declo loam, rooting density, final yield and quality of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum cv. Russet Burbank) showed no significant differences among conventional planting, ripping along the row, or forced aeration 30 cm below the top of the row. There were significant relationships between oxygen diffusion rate (ODR) and soil moisture tension (matric potential) at the 30 and 40 cm depths, but these relationships were not significantly different among treatments. In a complementary experiment, sprinkler irrigations at negative soil water matric potentials of 30-40 (wet), 40-50 (intermediate) and 50-60 kPa (dry, i.e., 0.5-0.6 bar tension) produced no differences in total yield. However, the wet treatment gave significantly more knobby and undersized tubers < 113 g (4 oz.) and a lower percentage of U.S. #1 tubers than the intermediate and dry treatments. Premium sized tubers > 284 g (10 oz.) were significantly higher in the dry than in the wet treatment. Fertilizer N was applied periodically during the season and petiole NO?-N levels indicated adequate levels with no differences among treatments in either experiment. So much attention has been given to the effects of drought and high temperature stress on the quality of Idaho Russet Burbank potatoes, that some growers may now over-irrigate. Results of this research indicate that attention should also be directed to the effects of excess moisture on the size and quality of tubers.

The effect of in-row spacing and seedtype on the yield and quality of a potato cultivar

The effect of irregular in-row spacing on tuber production and yield of Russet Burbank potatoes was tested at 2 locations in 1979 and 1980. At a similar mean spacing, no yield reductions were observed when irregular seedpiece spacings (CV levels 25, 50 and 75%) were compared with evenly spaced seedpieces (CV level of 0%). No significant interaction was found between irregular spacing and seedtypes with mass ranging from 59.0 to 67.9 g. No significant interaction was found between three accurate spacings (30.4, 45.7 and 60.9 cm) and the same range of seedpiece mass; however, the crop grown from large seedpieces had a higher marketable yield at the widest spacing tested. Mainstem numbers per plant were influenced by seedpiece mass while axillary branches increased with decreases in intra-plant and inter-plant competition. The incidence of hollow heart was generally unaffected by irregular inrow spacing. Incidence of this disorder was highest in 1979 and appeared to increase with increased plant stresses.