Tuber Sprouts Research Articles

Photosynthetic activity and yield of potato varieties in summer planting with freshly harvested tubers

The article presents the results of studying the growth, formation of leaf surface, productivity, and marketable yield of various very early, early, and mid-early potato varieties with double cropping: planting with freshly harvested tubers in summer. It was revealed that the studied varieties differ significantly in the germination of tubers, the formation of top stems, and leaf surfaces, as well as in marketable yield. The highest field germination of tubers (95.2-98.7%), stem formation (2.9-3.8 pcs.), leaf surface (33.6-39.9 thousand m2 per 1 ha), photosynthetic potential on plantings (2590.0-3351.6 thousand m2 ), powerful tops and root systems with intensively accumulating yield, as well as the largest commercial yield (29.1-34.3 t/ha) were obtained from the varieties: in very early – Latona, Binella, Karatop, Ultraeshim; in early – Arizona, American, Yangi Uzbekistan; in mid-early – Evolution, Pikasso, Sylvana, Saviola. At the same time, the yield increase was 2.6-8.7 t/ha compared to standard varieties.

StSnRK1.1 protein kinase positively regulates tuber dormancy release of potato

SnRK1 is a plant-specific serine/threonine protein kinase, that plays a vital role in maintaining the energy balance, nutrient distribution, growth, and development of organisms for survival. The period of tuber dormancy seriously affects potato production. To elucidate the effect of the StSnRK1.1 gene on dormancy release, the gene was cloned from the potato cultivar 'Desiree', and the overexpression and interfering expression lines were obtained through genetic transformation. StSnRK1.1 promoted early dormancy release and sprouting of potato tubers in the overexpression line, while it delayed tuber sprouting in the StSnRK1.1-interfering expression line. In addition, it was discovered that abscisic acid (ABA) in the StSnRK1.1 overexpression line was significantly reduced compared with the wild type plants, while the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) were increased. Conversely, the opposite result was found in the StSnRK1.1 gene interference expression line, which indicated that the dormancy release was accelerated, the reactive oxygen species metabolism efficiency was high, and the reactive oxygen species could be quickly removed and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species could be avoided during the dormancy release process. The positive regulatory genes StSnRK2.2 and StABI5 of ABA signal transduction were lower than those of wild type in the overexpression line and higher than that of the wild type in the interfering expression line, while the negative regulatory genes StPP2CA1 and StPP2CA3 of ABA signal transduction were higher than those of the wild type in the overexpression line and lower than that of the wild type in the interfering expression line. In summary, StSnRK1.1 affects ABA signaling by mediating the expression of StSnRK2.2, StABI5, StPP2CA1 and StPP2CA3, which provides a theoretical basis for the molecular mechanism of StSnRK1.1 to positively regulate the release of potato tuber dormancy. Through yeast two-hybrid (YH2) screening, two interacting proteins, StCAT3 and StFBA1, were identified. The interaction between StCAT3, StFBA1 and StSnRK1.1 was confirmed through bimolecular fluorescence complementation. These results provide novel information for further study on the molecular mechanism of StSnRK1.1 regulating dormancy and germination of potato tubers.

Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.) as an Agricultural Crop in Brazil: Tuber Dormancy Breaking

Yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.) is cultivated worldwide due to its agricultural and biotechnological potential. In Brazil, it is considered a weed, and we lack studies on its cultivation. Overcoming tuber dormancy is crucial for propagation. This study aimed to assess various dormancy-breaking methods’ effects on tubers and initial plant development. The treatments included gibberellic acid immersion, ethylene exposure, purple nutsedge extract immersion, temperature conditioning, scarification, and bud cutting, along with a control. Scarification resulted in the shortest emergence time (0.904 days) and fastest emergence speed (5.092 tubers/day). Plant development was minimally affected by the treatments, with scarification and gibberellic acid (100 mg L−1) resulting in taller plants (1.19–1.23 times higher than the control). The conditioning at 4 °C and 70 °C proved to be less effective in breaking dormancy. Purple nutsedge extract immersion and bud cutting hindered plant growth. Scarification emerged as the most effective dormancy-breaking method. This study provides insights into the cultivation of yellow nutsedge in Brazil, highlighting the effectiveness of scarification in improving tuber germination and the early growth stages of plants.

Integrative Phytohormone and Transcriptome Analyses Reveal the Inhibitory Mechanism of Ethylene on Potato Tuber Sprouting at Room Temperature

As a commercial potato sprout suppressant, ethylene (Eth) is usually used under a low temperature for long-term storage of potato tubers. However, in many cases, potato tubers are usually transferred from a refrigeration house and sold at room temperature. In the present research, Eth’s inhibitory effects on tuber sprouting at room temperature were investigated. The potential molecular mechanisms of Eth-induced sprout suppression were revealed by phytohormone and transcriptome analyses. Results showed that exogenous Eth significantly suppressed sprout growth in potato tubers during two weeks of storage. The endogenous plant hormone levels of abscisic acid (ABA) and auxin (Aux) were markedly reduced by Eth treatment. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that more transcriptional changes occurred in the early stage of sprouting. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) assigned to the pathways of plant hormone signal transduction, photosynthesis, starch and sucrose metabolism and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, which were closely associated with sprouting, were extensively down-regulated by Eth treatment. In addition, the heat map of six hormone signal transduction pathways showed that the expression of most DEGs annotated into the Aux signal transduction pathway was suppressed by Eth treatment, while the expression of many DEGs annotated as ETR (Eth receptor) and ERF1/2 (Eth-responsive transcription factor 1 and 2) in the Eth signal transduction pathway was enhanced by Eth treatment. Taken together, our results indicated that Eth-induced sprout inhibition might be closely related to the suppression of internal Aux production and signal transduction and the activation of Eth signal transduction.

Integrated field application of T. viride, botanicals, and fungicides for managing early blight (Alternaria solani) and enhancement of plant growth, tuber nutritional quality, and potato yield

Early blight disease, incited by Alternaria solani, is the most deleterious foliar disease of potato and other solanaceous crops. Herein, to counter the early blight disease, T. viride (Tv), botanicals [neem (N) and garlic (G)], and fungicides [flusilazole (F) and kasugamycin (K)] in different combinations applied through tuber treatment (ST) and foliar spray (FS) were evaluated for disease suppression, germination percent, plant growth promotion, photosynthetic pigments, and yield components as well as the nutritional quality of tubers under field conditions during the 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 seasons. The results of two-year field experiments revealed that the combination of Tv+ F+ N (ST) + G+K (FS) efficiently suppressed the development of the early blight disease symptoms and recorded 21.63 and 18.37% disease severity (DS) as compared to untreated control, respectively at 30 days post-treatment (dpt). During the 2018–2019 seasons, potato tubers treated with Tv +F significantly increased tuber germination (97.78%), while Tv+ F+ N treated potato tubers exhibited 98.89% tuber germination during the 2019–2020 season. Additionally, the potato plants treated with the combination of Tv+ F+ N (ST) + G+K (FS) and challenge inoculated with A. solani positively increased plant growth promotion activities like shoot and root length, fresh and dry weight of shoot and root, number of branches/plant, and induced accumulation of photosynthetic pigments like chlorophyll-a, b, and total carotenoids content during both seasons. Furthermore, under A. solani inoculated conditions, treatment with Tv+ F+ N (ST) + G+K (FS) significantly increased all yield attributing traits and other parameters associated with tuber nutritional quality such as starch (1.79-and 1.68-fold, respectively), vitamin-C (1.51-and 1.58-fold, respectively), total nitrogen (1.31-and 1.33-fold, respectively), total phosphorus (1.53-and 1.60-fold, respectively), and total potassium content (1.42-and 1.45-fold, respectively) as compared to untreated control in both seasons. So, it can be concluded that among all the treatments, integrated treatment comprising of tuber treatment with T. viride, flusilazole, and neem extract + one foliar spray of garlic extract and kasugamycin was found very effective in reducing early blight disease, promoting the plant’s growth, and increasing the yield as well as nutritional quality of tubers in the field conditions. The inclusive results indicated that integrated application might be a sustainable and eco-friendly control strategy for potato growers to manage potato early blight and achieve higher yields and nutritional tubers.

IMPROVEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNIQUES FOR GROWING EARLY POTATOES IN THE FOREST-STEPPE NOVOSIBIRSK PRIOBYE

There is a particularly acute shortage of vegetables and potatoes at the beginning and middle of summer. By this time, last year’s tubers have primarily lost their commercial and food qualities. Under these conditions, early potatoes are of great importance. The article presents the results of a study on the impact of individual agricultural practices on obtaining earlier potato production. On the leached chernozem of the forest steppe of the Novosibirsk Priobye, the effectiveness of initial germination of tubers before planting and the seedling method of growing early potatoes was established. The conducted studies showed that these agrotechnical methods contributed to the rapid passage of the development phases and the receipt of early production. It was also revealed that the studied forms of pre-plant preparation, especially seedlings, increase the yield and marketability of early potato varieties.

The Temporal and Geographical Dynamics of Potato Virus Y Diversity in Russia.

Potato virus Y, an important viral pathogen of potato, has several genetic variants and geographic distributions which could be affected by environmental factors, aphid vectors, and reservoir plants. PVY is transmitted to virus-free potato plants by aphids and passed on to the next vegetative generations through tubers, but the effects of tuber transmission in PVY is largely unknown. By using high-throughput sequencing, we investigated PVY populations transmitted to potato plants by aphids in different climate zones of Russia, namely the Moscow and Astrakhan regions. We analyzed sprouts from the tubers produced by field-infected plants to investigate the impact of tuber transmission on PVY genetics. We found a significantly higher diversity of PVY isolates in the Astrakhan region, where winters are shorter and milder and summers are warmer compared to the Moscow region. While five PVY types, NTNa, NTNb, N:O, N-Wi, and SYR-I, were present in both regions, SYRI-II, SYRI-III, and 261-4 were only found in the Astrakhan region. All these recombinants were composed of the genome sections derived from PVY types O and N, but no full-length sequences of such types were present. The composition of the PVY variants in the tuber sprouts was not always the same as in their parental plants, suggesting that tuber transmission impacts PVY genetics.

Virus elimination in promising potato varieties with the use of a combined therapy <i>in vitro</i>

Relevance. Viral infection is detected in most of the territories in the Russian Far East due to specific weather conditions and the abundance of insect-vectors. Eliminating viruses in seed potatoes and preserving the reproductive qualities of potato varieties can be achieved by the system of modern seed production, which consists of several essential steps. In FSBSI «FSC of Agricultural Biotechnology of the Far East named after A.K. Chaikа» creates new potato genotypes and eliminates viral infection in already existing ones. An anti-viral thermochemotherapy was developed in 2022–2023 to increase the efficacy of virus elimination and obtain virus-free material of a new promising potato variety Poseidon.Methods. New promising potato variety Poseidon (Rucheyok × Gala) created at FSBSI «FSC of Agricultural Biotechnology of the Far East named after A.K. Chaiki» was used as the research object. Leaves of the breeding accession from the nursery of comparative variety testing were tested for potato viruses PVX, PVY, PVA, PVS, PVM, and PLRV by enzyme immunoassay. Sprouts of initial tubers and plantlets were tested for latent infection by the PCR method.Results. The combined thermochemotherapy was utilized for 150 days, including three consecutive cycles of plant growth in vitro on MS media with ribavirin (30 mg/l) at 38º С for 14 days. The performed PCR analysis of potato plants with a mixed viral infection (PVY, PVS, PVM, and PLRV) established that this method for virus elimination was effective.

Proteomics Research Reveals the Molecular Mechanism by Which Grape Seed Oil Inhibits Tuber Sprouting in Potato

Potato tubers are rich in starch, vitamins, protein, minerals, and other nutrients. However, tuber sprouting produces solanine and reduces the commodity value of potatoes during storage. At present, it is known that some plant essential oils can inhibit tuber sprouting. It has been reported that grape seed oil (GSO) has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer characteristics, reducing blood lipids and delaying aging. In this study, we found for the first time that GSO delayed tuber sprouting, and the soluble sugar content and peroxidase activity changed after 60 days of GSO treatment. Furthermore, a comparative proteomic analysis of tuber bud eyes showed that after 30 days of GSO treatment, there were 206 and 129 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) with increased and decreased abundance levels, respectively. After analysis, we found that 15 ROS-related proteins and 14 proteins involved in energy metabolism were DAPs. Among them, gamma aminobutyrate transaminase 1 had decreased abundance after GSO treatment. Meanwhile, the transcription level of genes related to GABA synthesis increased significantly according to qRT-PCR analysis. Our results provide new approaches to the proteomic mechanism of potato sprouting after GSO treatment and provide a theoretical basis for the application of GSO in inhibiting potato seed sprouts.

Estratégias de manejo para Anredera cordifolia na cultura do café

ABSTRACT Coffee plantations installed at high altitudes and near forested areas have been highly infested with Anredera cordifolia. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of different pre- and post-emergence herbicide treatments on A. cordifolia after mechanical mowing. A field experiment was carried out in a coffee plantation with natural infestation of A. cordifolia in a completely randomized design with a split-plot scheme and four replicates, in which the main plot an herbicides application and the subplot was the days after the initial application (DAI). The treatments were as follows: saflufenacil + glyphosate (70 + 960 g a.i. ha-1); chlorimuron + glyphosate (80 + 960 g a.i. ha-1); metsulfuron + glyphosate (6 + 960 g a.i. ha-1); flumioxazin + glyphosate (25 + 960 g a.i. ha-1), and glyphosate (960 g a.i. ha-1); with sequential application of glyphosate (960 g a.i. ha-1); glyphosate + indaziflam (960 + 75 g a.i. ha-1); indaziflam (75 g a.i. ha-1); and a control without herbicide application. Mechanical control, followed by the application of the treatments flumioxazin + glyphosate and metsulfuron + glyphosate in the first application and sequential application of indaziflam, proved to be effective. Control of this weed should be based on the removal of its plant residues from the field to reduce the regrowth and germination of aerial tubers.

Carbon Sources for Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation in Southern California Strawberry

Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) has been adopted in over 900 ha in California strawberry production as an alternative to chemical fumigation. Rice bran, the predominant carbon source for ASD, has become increasingly expensive. In 2021–22 and the 2022–23 field studies, we evaluated 20–30% lower-priced wheat middlings (Midds) and dried distillers’ grain (DDG) at 21,800 kg ha−1 (in 2021) and 17,000 kg ha−1 (in 2022) as alternative carbon sources to rice bran. The study was placed at Santa Paula, California in September of each season in preparation for strawberry planting in October. Soil and air temperatures were 18–26 °C during that time. After the incorporation of carbon sources into the top 30 cm of bed soil, beds were reshaped, and irrigation drip lines were installed and covered with totally impermeable film (TIF) to prevent gas exchange. Beds were irrigated to saturate the bed soil within 48 h after TIF installation. Anaerobic conditions were measured with soil redox potential (Eh) sensors placed at 15 cm depth in all plots. Both DDG and Midds plots maintained Eh at −180 to 0 mV during the two ASD weeks, while untreated soil was aerobic at 200 to 400 mV. Permeable bags with inocula of Macrophomina phaseolina, a lethal soil-borne pathogen of strawberry, and tubers of a perennial weed Cyperus esculentus were placed 15 cm deep in the soil at ASD initiation and retrieved two weeks later for analyses. Two weeks after that, holes were cut to aerate beds and ‘Victor’ or ‘Fronteras’ bare-root strawberries were transplanted into them. ASD with DDG reduced viable microsclerotia of M. phaseolina by 49% in the first season and 75 to 85% with both carbon sources in the second season. Both ASD treatments reduced tuber germination of C. esculentus 86–90% compared to untreated soil in one of two years. Additionally, Midds and DDG provided greater sufficiency of plant-available nitrogen and phosphorus compared to untreated soil with synthetic pre-plant fertilizer and improved fruit yields by 11–29%. ASD with these carbon sources can suppress soil pathogens and weeds and help sustain organic strawberry production in California.

Determining the optimum mixture of three essential oils for potato sprout suppression at room temperature storage.

As a staple crop, potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) play an important role in meeting daily caloric needs. To ensure adequate supplies for year-round consumption, potato quality must be maintained throughout lengthy storage periods. Towards this end, potato sprouting during storage must be minimized. Due to changing regulations regarding chemical means of potato sprout suppression, increased focus has turned to alternative products including essential oils (EO) as sprout suppressants in recent years. The complex composition of various EOs promises numerous options for sprout suppression. Furthermore, blends of several EOs may achieve enhanced sprout suppressant properties if synergistic interactions are present. We evaluated Syzygium aromaticum, Artemisia herba-alba, and Laurus nobilis EOs and blends thereof as sprout suppressants in potato cultivar Ranger Russet stored at room temperature and also tested for their antifungal activity against Colletotrichum fragariae, a causal organism of anthracnose disease in strawberries including other vegetables and fruits. A. herba-alba EO was an effective sprout suppressant when used alone and suppressed sprouting over the 90-day storage period. Interactions between A. herba-alba and S. aromaticum affected sprout length whereas interactions between A. herba-alba and L. nobilis EOs affected sprout number. An optimum blend of 50% - 82.31% A. herba-alba, 17.69% - 50% L. nobilis, and 0% - 1.01% S. aromaticum EOs could more effectively minimize tuber sprout length and number than any of the three whole EOs used alone. Among these three EOs, only S. aromaticum EO showed antifungal activity against C. fragariae in bioautography assay. These results exhibit the potential of EOs blends as a novel tactic in potato sprout suppression as well as potential natural product-based fungicides in managing C. fragariae.

Effect of Presowing Gamma Irradiation on the Germination of Tubers and the Growth of Potato Plants of the Meteor Variety

Effect of Presowing Gamma Irradiation on the Germination of Tubers and the Growth of Potato Plants of the Meteor Variety

Effect of Presowing Gamma Irradiation on the Germination of Tubers and the Growth of Potato Plants of the Meteor Variety

Formation of the potato crop in soddy podzolic soils of the Field Experimental Station of the Russian State Agrarian University—Timiryazev Moscow Agricultural Academy has shown that doses of 200–300 Gy used for the irradiation of seed tubers are most favorable for stimulating the growth and development of potato plants of the Meteor variety. After this radiation treatment of the seed material, the greatest increase was observed in the length of eyes, in the number of eyes and stems, in the amount of photosynthetic active biomass, in the solids content of leaves and stems, and in the amount of starch in the tubers of grown potatoes. All this can be used to increase the yield of potatoes and their consumer qualities

New Report of Oriental Mealybug Rhizoecus Amorphophalli Betrem (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in Amorphophallus Muelleri Tubers in Indonesia

Since 2020 porang (Amorphophallus muelleri Blume) has been declared as an important commercial crop grown in Indonesia. Recently, porang tubers a coated of a distinct white waxy substance was observed at seed storage. The symptoms pose a threat to tuber vigour quality due to the intensive infestation on stored tubers. This sap- sucking insect sucks the juice leading to desiccation and shrivelling of tubers. This study aims to identify the sap- sucking insect pest attacks the storage porang tubers. The studies carried out at ILETRI. Identification of the caused insect species was done by observing symptoms visually, morphological identification of adult females using Compound microscope Olympus Bx43 in 40 X magnification, and tuber germination and growth of 250 infested tubers in the field. Regarding to the specific symptoms whose soft body coated of a distinct white waxy substance and morphological measurement of the average length of the adult females (862.62±46.3 μm with range between 764 - 904 μm), it’s supposed caused by mealybug in Rhizoecus amorphophalli (Hemiptera:Pseudococcidae). Our founding revealed that R. amorphophalli is first discovered as causal agent of a mealybug pest of porang in Indonesia and turned out to be very detrimental because their infestation caused 90 percent of infested porang tubers unable to germinate and grow.

Regrowth of Lowland Ecotype Cyperus rotundus L. in Response to Soil Depth, Shoot Clipping and Flooding Depth Interventions

Lowland ecotype Cyperus rotundus L. (LE-CYPRO) has tubers that can grow and survive under flooded conditions. However, information on the responses of its tubers to the combination of soil depth or shoot clipping with flooding is unavailable. Two experiments were conducted to determine the germination and regrowth of LE-CYPRO tubers in response to soil depth, shoot clipping and flooding depth interventions. Experiment 1 involved pre-sprouted (PS) and non-sprouted (NS) tubers subjected to three soil depths (0, 5 and 10 cm) and three flooding depths (0, 3 and 5 cm); Experiment 2 used PS tubers subjected to shoot clipping at periods of 10, 20 and 30 days after planting (DAP) under three water conditions (saturated, early flooding and late flooding). Irrespective of soil depths, PS and NS tubers had 100% germination and regrowth without flooding (0-cm flooding depth). When planted at the soil surface (0-cm soil depth) and flooded by 3- to 5-cm, only 50 and 40% of PS while 20% of NS tubers germinated. No germination was seen on tubers buried under 5- to 10-cm soil depths and flooded by 3- to 5-cm depths. Revived PS tubers buried and flooded for 100 days at 0-, 5- and 10-cm depths had 20 to 60% germinations at 3-cm flooding depth and 20 to 70% at 5-cm flooding depth; NS tubers had 40 to 50% germinations at 3-cm flooding depth and 40% at 5-cm flooding depth. Growth variables of the weed at shoot clipping periods of 10, 20 and 30 DAP were comparable to the control under saturated conditions. Growth variables were reduced by 68 to 97.3% and 21.7 to 100% when aided by early and late flooding, respectively. This information could be used in the formulation of effective and comprehensive weed management for LE-CYPRO.

The influence of gamma irradiation on the storability and biochemical parameters of potato tubers

Potato storage is a complex technological process aimed at reducing weight losses and maintaining the biochemical and consumer indicators of tubers at an appropriate level. Depending on the storage temperature, the amount of losses on sprouts in the overall structure of waste can be a significant. Currently, in most European countries, the use of a classic potato tuber germination inhibitor based on the active ingredient chlorprofam is prohibited for environmental reasons. In this regard, an alternative method of restraining the germination of ware and intended for industrial processing potatoes based on the use of gamma irradiation is of interest. Studies on gamma irradiation of tubers using 60Co were conducted in 2019-2021 at the Russian Institute of Radiology and Agroecology (Obninsk), followed by storage of potatoes in cold storage chambers of the Russian Potato Research Centre at two temperatures - 6-7 °C and 9-10 °C. The studied radiation doses were 15, 25 and 50 Gy. It was found that potato weight losses during storage depended mainly on temperature (influence of factor 42.2%) and gamma irradiation (influence of factor 42.2%). For ware potatoes (6-7 °C), gamma irradiation doses of 15 and 25 Gy were optimal; for potatoes intended for processing into fried products (9-10 °C), - 50 Gy. Irradiation at these doses significantly reduced the germination of tubers and the amount of total losses during storage. At a storage temperature of 9-10 °C and irradiation dose of 50 Gy, there was also noticed a decrease in reducing sugars content in tubers by 2-2.5 times, which made it possible to obtain the final product when frying of higher quality in terms of color. There was no significant effect on the content of dry matter, starch, nitrates and vitamin C in tubers. After irradiation doses of 25 and 50 Gy a slight decrease in protein content was noticed.

Optimized Preparation of Methyl Salicylate Hydrogel and Its Inhibition Effect on Potato Tuber Sprouting

Potato tuber sprout results in nutrient loss and solanine production. Essential oils have been mentioned to reduce sprouting; however, they can easily evaporate and decompose, thus restricting their application. In this paper, the inhibition effect of methyl salicylate (MeSA) as the main component of wintergreen essential oil on tuber sprouting was evaluated, and MeSA hydrogel was prepared by using the ionic gel method to improve the sprout inhibition efficiency. Based on SEM, FTIR, XRD, and DSC images, MeSA was encapsulated successfully in calcium alginate hydrogel, and the thermal stability of hydrogel was improved. MeSA direct fumigation released sharply on the first day, while MeSA in hydrogel released slowly and steadily; the release of MeSA content was 0.0085 mg mL−1 on the 7th day. The optimized formulations of MeSA hydrogel were as follows: 1.9% of sodium alginate, 2.2% of CaCl2, 1.9:1 of core–wall ratio, and 0.15% of Tween-80. The inhibition effect of MeSA hydrogel was better than that of pure MeSA at 18 days, the sprouting rates of the MeSA and MeSA hydrogel were 42.50% and 13.33%, and the corresponding sprouting indexes were 8.57% and 2.86%, respectively. MeSA was found to inhibit potato tuber sprouting for the first time in this paper; MeSA hydrogel can enhance the inhibitory effect of MeSA on potato sprouting.

Mushroom-Derived Novel Selenium Nanocomposites' Effects on Potato Plant Growth and Tuber Germination.

Multicomponent materials, where nanosized selenium (Se) is dispersed in polymer matrices, present as polymer nanocomposites (NCs), namely, selenium polymer nanocomposites (SeNCs). Selenium as an inorganic nanofiller in NCs has been extensively studied for its biological activity. More ecologically safe and beneficial approaches to obtain Se-based products are the current challenge. Biopolymers have attained great attention with perspective multifunctional and high-performance NCs exhibiting low environmental impact with unique properties, being abundantly available, renewable, and eco-friendly. Composites based on polysaccharides, including beta-glucans from edible and medicinal mushrooms, are bioactive, biocompatible, biodegradable, and have exhibited innovative potential. We synthesized SeNCs on the basis of the extracellular polysaccharides of several medicinal mushrooms. The influence of bio-composites from mushrooms on potato plant growth and tuber germination were studied in two potato cultivars: Lukyanovsky and Lugovskoi. Bio-composites based on Grifola umbellata demonstrated the strongest positive effect on the number of leaves and plant height in both cultivars, without negative effect on biomass of the vegetative part. Treatment of the potato tubers with SeNC from Gr. umbellata also significantly increased germ length. Potato plants exposed to Se-bio-composite from Ganoderma lucidum SIE1303 experienced an increase in the potato vegetative biomass by up to 55% versus the control. We found earlier that this bio-composite was the most efficient against biofilm formation by the potato ring rot causative agent Clavibacter sepedonicus (Cms). Bio-composites based on Pleurotus ostreatus promoted increase in the potato root biomass in the Lugovskoi cultivar by up to 79% versus the control. The phytostimulating ability of mushroom-based Se-containing bio-composites, together with their anti-phytopathogenic activity, testifies in favor of the bifunctional mode of action of these Se-biopreparations. The application of stimulatory green SeNCs for growth enhancement could be used to increase crop yield. Thus, by combining myco-nanotechnology with the intrinsic biological activity of selenium, an unexpectedly efficient tool for possible applications of SeNCs could be identified.

Protection of potatoes from late blight in Sakhalin

The article presents long-term studies on the study of agrotechnical and chemical measures to combat potato late blight in the Sakhalin region. At the initial stage of work (1951-1966), the local population of the fungus Phytophtora infestans was studied, and a method for short-term prognosis of the disease was developed. For the first time, a complex of agrotechnical and chemical measures was developed: preplant germination and treatment of tubers with microelements (Cu, B, Mn); joint application of fertilizers and copper sulfate; double spraying of potato seedlings with microelements; fungicide treatments; removal of tops on seed plots before harvesting; post-harvest planting of seed material. Between 1996 and 2019 the improvement of disease control measures was carried out on the basis of the use of chemical and biological agents. In 1996-2003 among the studied modern fungicides, the most effective were systemic preparations (Acrobat MC, Ordan), as well as the combined use of Ordan with the biological product Planriz and Sodium Humate, which made it possible to reduce the development of the disease by 24.2-69.1% and increase the yield by 17.3-48.9%. According to the results of research in 2016-2019. Innovative combined action fungicides Infinito and Consento had the maximum protective effect against fungal infection. The use of drugs under production conditions made it possible to reduce the degree of damage to the vegetative mass by the pathogen by 56.5-60.0%, and increase the yield by 31.2-36.5%. Technical efficiency corresponded to 67-71%. The studied biopreparations (Trichocin, Vitaplan) are recommended for prophylactic treatment of potatoes in the initial period of vegetation.