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Potential Economic Losses from Planting Nonuniform Seed Lots and Improper Seed Sizes for Three Potato Varieties
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Potential Economic Losses from Planting Nonuniform Seed Lots and Improper Seed Sizes for Three Potato Varieties

Alexa Hintze
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000006326
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Alexa Hintze Thesis Final Version551.17 kBDownloadView
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Abstract

Clearwater Russet Cut vs whole seed tubers Potato Ranger Russet Russet Burbank Seed size
Quality seed of the ideal size and type (i.e., whole-seed tubers or cut seed pieces) is a critical component of achieving uniform plant stands which optimize economic returns in commercial potato production. Nonuniform emergence from Clearwater Russet is common in the Columbia Basin of Washington but not well understood. To gain a better understanding of the issue, a survey assessed performance of commercial seed cutting operations during 2021 and 2022. The average seed piece sample contained 23% <1.5 oz, 64% 1.5 to 3.0 oz, 13% >3.0 oz. Eleven percent were obvious chips weighing <1.0 oz. One seed lot was comprised of more than 50% weighing below 1.5 oz and more than 30% were chips. In addition, two field trials examined seed size (1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5 oz) and type (whole vs cut) of Clearwater Russet. Seed size performance of Ranger Russet and Russet Burbank was also tested. As seed size increased for all varieties and seed types, early plant growth generally improved, average tuber weight decreased, and stem and tuber number per plant increased. Specific gravity was lower in tubers coming from seed sizes ≤ 2.0 oz. Cut Clearwater Russet seed produced higher yields and economic return than whole seed. Cutting Clearwater seed likely helped to break dormancy and apical dominance observed in whole seed, hastening early plant growth. Clearwater Russet yield was optimized at 2.5 to 3.0 oz for cut and whole seed; however, economic return peaked with a seed weight of 2.0 oz when data were combined across both cut seed and whole-tuber seed. Yield of Ranger Russet and Russet Burbank peaked when seed size reached 3.0 oz; however, economic return was optimized between 2.5–3.0 oz for Russet Burbank and 3.0 oz for Ranger Russet. Data from the seed size field study and commercial seed cutting survey indicated that beyond the small size window where economic value was optimized for each variety, variance as small as 0.5 oz may reduce the average Washington grower’s economic return by >3% per acre. We conclude that growers should target the seed sizes listed above and minimize under- and oversized seed pieces to produce the highest economic return for each variety.

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