Thesis
The effect of 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and simulated hail (defoliation) on potato plant growth and development
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
05/2016
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/101236
Abstract
1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) has been found to restore apical dominance in physiological old potato seed, reducing stem and tuber number; typically resulting in an increase in average tuber size and revenue to growers. The purpose of this research was to test the efficacy and rate of a new commercial NAA product, Rejuvenate Seed Treatment, on potato growth and development. Rejuvenate Seed Treatment was applied on the seed pieces of Russet Burbank, Umatilla Russet and Clearwater Russet at two different rates 0.25 and 0.50 grams of NAA per ton of seed tubers and compared to a non-treated control during 2013 and 2014. At the high off-label rate (0.50 grams of NAA per ton of seed tubers) tuber and stem number per plant was reduced and average tuber weight increased between all varieties and years; however, there was no significant differences between the labeled rate (0.25 grams of NAA per ton of seed tubers) of Rejuvenate Seed Treatment and the non-treated control. Both rates of Rejuvenate delayed Umatilla plant emergence during 2014. Across years and varieties, economic return, tuber size profile and yield did not improve with the application of Rejuvenate Seed Treatment. Simulated hail damage was applied to the canopies of one mid- and one late-maturing potato variety (Russet Norkotah TX278 and Ranger Russet, respectively) during 2013, 2014, and 2015 at four defoliation levels, 0%, 33%, 66%, and 99% and three potato growth stages, tuber initiation (TI), early tuber bulk (EB), and late tuber bulk (LB). There were substantial yield and gross return losses from ≥ 66% defoliation at all growth stages for both varieties but losses were most severe at the EB stage ranging from 17% to 80%. When 99% of the canopy was removed at EB and LB, as much as 80% and 48% of grower revenue was lost, respectively. As TI defoliation increased from 0% to 99%, tuber number per plant decreased from 7.0 to 4.7 for R. Norkotah and 6.1 to 4.6 for RR. The data suggest growers will likely lose revenue from hail damage at all growth stages and that the loss increases as defoliation level increases. Complete defoliation during EB appears to be most devastating, reducing grower revenue by much as 80%.
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Details
- Title
- The effect of 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and simulated hail (defoliation) on potato plant growth and development
- Creators
- Seth Collin Shelton
- Contributors
- Mark J. Pavek (Chair)Norman R Knowles (Committee Member) - Washington State University, Horticulture, Department ofTimothy David Waters (Committee Member) - Washington State University, WSU Extension ANR
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Horticulture, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Number of pages
- 62
- Identifiers
- 99900525398501842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis