Dear readers! In this issue, we continue the story of the observations of planting of the AgroAlliance-NN seed farm (Nizhny Novgorod Region), specializing in the production of European potato varieties (breeding companies Europlant and HZPC Sadokas) of high reproductions (see the beginning in the magazine "Potato System" - No. 3,2018).
A brief overview of the results of the field season 2018 is brought to your attention by a specialist of the enterprise Kirill Kraev.
COMPLICATIONS OF THE SEASON
Anticipating the story about the harvesting conditions, we note that the second half of the summer in the Nizhny Novgorod region was characterized by relatively high temperatures for this period and an almost complete absence of rain. As a result, the soil in the ridges on the farm fields became dense and lumpy, which created problems for the operation of the equipment and threatened significant mechanical damage to the tubers during harvesting.
The second feature of this season is the slow formation and strengthening of the peel of potatoes: instead of the usual 10-14 days, this process lasted more than 21 days on all varieties.
COLLECTION
Initially, the start of harvesting was scheduled for August 20, but we had to postpone plans and wait for more favorable weather conditions (until the air temperature dropped below + 27 °). As a result, the deadlines shifted by more than 10 days, we left the field only on September 1. At the beginning of harvesting, we reduced the speed of the combine harvester and the speed of rotation of all conveyors to minimize the mechanical damage to the tubers.
So what have we got? Objectively assessing the result, we can say: despite a very arid second half of the summer, the yield grew worthy.
Of course, weather anomalies could not but affect the development of plants. As we have already noted, due to lack of moisture, all varieties formed fewer tubers on one bush than usual. This was especially true for early varieties; the difference in tuberization in later varieties is less noticeable compared to previous seasons. But we did not suffer losses in collection volumes. The lack of quantity was compensated by an increase in the caliber of the tuber, that is, the ratio of the fractions 30-45 and 45-60 per unit volume changed. Almost all varieties formed half of the crop with tubers of 45-60 mm fraction.
In the future, we will need to take this fact into account when planning plantings in 2019: the seed consumption rate will be slightly more than 3 t / ha.
STORAGE
When laying for storage, we conduct a tuber analysis of all batches of the crop in order to have an objective assessment of the quality of the seeds.
In conclusion, it should be noted that at the end of the treatment period, all types of potatoes undergo a virus test (in accordance with the requirements of GOST 33996-2016 “Seed potatoes. Technical conditions and quality determination methods”), with particular attention to the Y-virus as the most dangerous potato pathogen.
We trust the assessment of the quality of our harvest, LLC Small Innovative Enterprise “Laboratory for the Control of Potato Quality” (Samara Region). Diagnostic samples are taken in the presence of our partners, for example, a company employee HZPC Sadokas Olga Leskova.
Currently, the samples are already in the laboratory, the results of the research we will receive in late November.