Potato in row spacing

A

AUMF

Member

• Feb 28, 2019

• #1

Hello,

We usually cut our winter planted (spring harvested) potato seed, but plant whole seed now (summer in Australia for winter harvest as the seed tends to break down with the heat and humidity this time of year.

Should I be increasing the in row spacing of the whole seed crop compared to the spacing for the cut seed. All things equal will I get more yield if I leave the spacing unchanged at 12.5 inches.

Thanks.

 

M

MNBVCXZ

Member

Location

Central Southern UK

• Feb 28, 2019

• #2

AUMF said:

Hello,

We usually cut our winter planted (spring harvested) potato seed, but plant whole seed now (summer in Australia for winter harvest as the seed tends to break down with the heat and humidity this time of year.

Should I be increasing the in row spacing of the whole seed crop compared to the spacing for the cut seed. All things equal will I get more yield if I leave the spacing unchanged at 12.5 inches.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

Varieties will determine spacing, as well as end seed size requirement/market length in the ground etc etc.
Some more info please.

 

A

AUMF

Member

• Mar 1, 2019

• #3

Thanks MNBVCXZ

The variety is Sebago a multipurpose white flesh floury spud. We are growing for fresh market/processors and require decent sized potatoes. Our spacing for cut seed is 12.5/13.5 inches. Our crops are irrigated.

My understanding is that growing a crop from whole seed vs cut seed will increase plant populations especially if using larger whole tubers which I am using now. This in turn produces more tubers and a risk of overall smaller tubers due to the increased competition.

On this basis should I increase my seed spacing to avoid over competition with this whole seed?

Cheers

 

M

MNBVCXZ

Member

Location

Central Southern UK

• Mar 3, 2019

• #4

Essentially yes increase spacing. But beware how many tubers the variety naturally holds onto!!!! If not many make sure you feed the plant with good phosphite or phosphate just after tuber initiation! Some varieties put out enough tubers at initiation but they don’t all make it resulting in some very big tubers but not many. Feeding at TI will help keep the numbers up if if it is a shy initiating variety.

 

Richard Smyth

Member

Arable Farmer

Location

Pinnaroo. South Australia

• Mar 11, 2019

• #5

As a rule seed will be planted further apart when using whole seed. Large seed will be planted further apart again.

I’ve not grown sebago and don’t know where about you are so can’t comment on them. For the washed market though we usually plant 18-26 cm apart depending on variety, size, cut or whole, p age, time of year, soil type, there are many factors that determine it. Most varieties will set more tubers the older the seed gets, some actually set less

 

Exfarmer

Member

Location

Bury St Edmunds

• Mar 12, 2019

• #6

Keeping them short of nitrogen early will increase tuber numbers too. When we were growing salads always starved and drip fed the nitrogen

 

Richard Smyth

Member

Arable Farmer

Location

Pinnaroo. South Australia

• Mar 12, 2019

• #7

Exfarmer said:

Keeping them short of nitrogen early will increase tuber numbers too. When we were growing salads always starved and drip fed the nitrogen

Click to expand...

Problem with doing this in the climate we get is if we get a spell of extreme heat (we had too many days touching 50 degrees c) they can go backwards very fast and defoliate. Some varieties like Nadine and lady cristl will be dead fast. Lots of water and early nitrogen to push them to row closure is preferred.

We generally try and manage p age primarily for tuber counts. Especially with very young seed.

Market for smalls is quite limited here. Preferred size for most markets is around 150 grams av tuber weight. Red smalls basically cattle feed.