Oakes Irrigation Research Site
Carrington Research Extension Center * North Dakota State University
P.O. Box 531, Oakes, ND 58474-0531, Voice: (701) 742-2189, FAX: (701) 742-2700, email: rgreenla@ndsuext.nodak.edu

1996 POTATO CULTIVAR X NITROGEN FERTILITY STUDY

James H. Lorenzen, Natalie Bennett, and Myron Thoresen

Department of Plant Sciences, NDSU

Richard Greenland, Oakes Irrigation Research Station

An increasing portion of the potato crop in North Dakota is produced with irrigation and is utilized by the french fry industry. Specific recommendations for this relatively new cropping pattern need to be developed for irrigated potatoes in North Dakota. This trial is to develop a database for nitrogen recommendations for important potato cultivars in North Dakota.

Result summary

Table 76. Effect of nitrogen level on four potato cultivars.

Table 77. Effect of nitrogen level on six potato genotypes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Four cultivars: Goldrush, Ranger Russet, Russet Burbank and Shepody, were planted at the Oakes Irrigation Research Station on May 7, 1996. Seed size was approximately 2 oz. and row width and plant spacing within-row were 36 inches and 12 inches, respectively. Nitrogen rates (total) were 75, 150, 225, and 300 lb per acre (total N = residual soil nitrate-N plus applied N). Nitrogen was split over three applications. Insect and disease control was provided through foliar applications as needed. Each plot consisted of six 15-hill rows, including two border rows, two rows for petiole sampling, and two harvest rows. Red Pontiac was planted between plots to distinguish plots at harvest. The design was a split plot design with nitrogen treatment as the main plot and cultivar as the sub-plot. There were four replications. The potatoes were irrigated as necessary.

Petiole and soil samples were taken at 10 day intervals from June 26 through August 15. Samples of 12 petioles were taken from the second and fifth row of each plot. Fresh petiole samples were transported on ice to Fargo, the sap expressed, and nitrate in the petiole sap was determined by Horiba ion meter (NO3 ; Model C-141). Duplicate samples of 2 replications each week were sent to the Dept. of Soil Science, NDSU, for determination of petiole NO3 in dry, powdered tissue for verification. The middle two rows of each plot were harvested on September 21, and graded into 5 size classes. Specific gravity was calculated after determining the weight in air and weight in water. The 12 largest tubers from each plot were checked for hollow heart.

A second trial was planted to assess the response of new, round cultivars and advanced selections to N rate. The genotypes planted were ND2471-8, NorValley, and Norchip (round white); and Nordonna, Red Ruby, and Red Norland (round red). The nitrogen rates were 75, 150, 225, and 300 lb/acre as mentioned above. These plots were planted as a split plot with two single row plots (2 x 15 plants) per genotype to save space and facilitate harvest. Petiole samples were not taken to avoid disturbing the harvest row. Harvest and grading were conducted as described above.

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RESULTS

Average yields were lower than desired in this trial. Two factors affected this trial that cause the results to be treated with some caution. There were phenoxy-type symptoms of spray drift on many plots in July, with some plots being severely affected. Plots were affected by early blight and late blight in August, reducing the amount of late-season bulking that normally would be expected. The N level that gave the highest yields in 1996 was a total N rate (residual + applied) of 225 lb/acre. Shepody and Goldrush had the highest yields, followed by Russet Burbank. Ranger Russet had very low yields with all rates of N. Shepody was the most responsive to increased rates of N. Specific gravity was relatively low and there was no apparent effect of N rate on specific gravity in this trial, unlike previous years. This may have been due to the factors mentioned above that affected this trial and that also caused early dying.

In the extra trial, the newly released chipping variety NorValley had the highest yields at all levels of N and was also the most responsive to N. Only NorValley had a significant increase in yield at the highest N level.

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Table 76. Effect of nitrogen level on four potato cultivars (1996).
Treatment Yield US1A Specific gravity Hollow heart Cracks Knobs Potato size in ounces
< 4 4-6 6-10 10-16 > 16
cwt/acre % --------------------------------------- % --------------------------------------
75 lbs N 148.7 81.3 1.079 0.4 0.2 3.1 14.0 22.6 40.2 18.5 1.3
150 lbs N 229.2 84.5 1.079 0.9 0.3 3.0 10.0 18.9 42.1 23.5 1.8
225 lbs N 276.8 83.5 1.078 0.5 0.2 3.9 7.7 18.0 40.0 25.6 4.4
300 lbs N 252.7 84.3 1.079 0.3 0.8 3.0 10.1 16.5 42.2 25.6 1.5
Goldrush 252.7 87.3 1.074 0.0 0.4 1.9 8.3 15.9 42.4 29.0 2.2
Ranger Russet 161.8 82.4 1.080 0.0 0.6 2.9 13.0 22.9 43.4 16.1 0.6
Russ. Burbank 239.1 80.8 1.079 1.2 0.3 3.3 14.9 26.7 43.0 11.1 0.0
Shepody 273.0 83.0 1.082 0.8 0.2 4.6 5.3 10.2 35.4 37.5 6.3
N-LEVEL by VARIETY
75 lbs N
Goldrush 170.6 80.7 1.077 0.0 0.0 1.9 15.7 21.3 40.6 19.0 2.8
Ranger Russ. 117.6 79.1 1.081 0.0 0.2 4.1 15.8 23.5 40.6 15.0 0.0
Russ. Burbank 149.8 80.4 1.077 1.2 0.6 2.3 16.6 30.8 39.5 10.1 0.0
Shepody 156.9 85.0 1.083 0.7 0.0 4.3 7.6 14.4 39.8 30.9 2.5
150 lbs N
Goldrush 222.7 89.5 1.076 0.0 0.0 1.6 6.4 14.6 42.1 32.9 2.6
Ranger Russ. 163.1 82.2 1.079 0.0 1.0 2.9 11.8 22.0 44.7 15.5 1.4
Russ. Burbank 264.0 81.8 1.080 2.3 0.5 1.8 15.5 28.9 44.0 9.0 0.0
Shepody 267.1 84.6 1.081 1.3 0.0 5.6 5.8 9.6 37.3 37.7 3.2
225 lbs N
Goldrush 341.7 89.4 1.075 0.0 0.5 3.3 4.3 12.5 42.1 34.9 2.4
Ranger Russ. 175.6 83.0 1.081 0.0 0.2 3.7 11.5 27.1 40.3 15.7 0.9
Russ. Burbank 282.6 84.3 1.079 0.7 0.0 4.3 10.7 24.0 47.0 13.3 0.0
Shepody 307.2 77.2 1.078 1.4 0.0 4.3 4.4 8.5 31.2 37.5 13.5
300 lbs N
Goldrush 275.8 89.8 1.071 0.0 1.4 0.8 6.9 14.4 45.2 30.4 0.9
Ranger Russ. 191.0 85.2 1.081 0.0 0.9 0.9 12.6 18.7 48.2 18.3 0.0
Russ. Burbank 259.9 76.9 1.080 1.0 0.2 5.0 16.6 23.5 41.8 11.8 0.0
Shepody 361.0 85.2 1.085 0.0 0.8 4.6 3.4 8.4 33.2 43.5 5.3

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Table 77. Effect of nitrogen level on six potato genotypes (1996).
Treatment Yield US1A Specific gravity Hollow heart Cracks Knobs
cwt/acre % ----------------- % ------------------
75 lbs N 187.0 93.9 1.074 1.4 1.0 0.6
150 lbs N 226.5 93.5 1.075 1.3 2.0 0.9
225 lbs N 295.9 92.7 1.076 1.1 2.4 1.2
300 lbs N 305.6 93.9 1.073 0.3 1.2 0.8
ND2471-8 261.8 93.2 1.089 2.9 2.9 0.4
NorValley 318.7 94.0 1.077 0.2 0.7 0.6
Norchip 236.8 91.7 1.083 0.4 3.8 1.1
Nordonna 231.9 95.2 1.068 1.3 0.3 0.1
Red Ruby 228.4 92.3 1.068 0.1 0.5 2.5
Red Norland 244.9 94.7 1.061 1.1 1.6 0.4
N-LEVEL by VARIETY
75 lbs N
ND2471-8 199.7 95.0 1.091 4.0 1.5 0.0
NorValley 224.5 94.3 1.079 0.4 0.8 0.1
Norchip 177.2 93.3 1.080 0.0 2.2 0.0
Nordonna 165.8 94.6 1.065 3.4 0.4 0.0
Red Ruby 180.1 89.8 1.068 0.0 0.0 3.2
Red Norland 175.1 96.2 1.061 4.0 1.3 0.3
150 lbs N
ND2471-8 236.3 92.6 1.093 3.0 3.0 0.9
NorValley 316.7 94.2 1.075 0.3 0.6 1.1
Norchip 208.9 91.0 1.083 0.6 5.2 0.2
Nordonna 203.2 96.2 1.068 0.5 0.0 0.3
Red Ruby 206.4 93.1 1.068 0.1 1.6 1.9
Red Norland 187.6 93.6 1.060 3.4 1.7 0.8
225 lbs N
ND2471-8 316.5 91.7 1.089 3.8 3.9 0.6
NorValley 333.3 94.2 1.082 0.3 1.4 0.6
Norchip 273.2 89.0 1.085 0.8 5.2 3.3
Nordonna 281.4 94.8 1.072 1.1 1.4 0.0
Red Ruby 257.7 93.2 1.070 0.5 0.2 2.8
Red Norland 313.4 93.6 1.063 0.0 2.4 0.0
300 lbs N
ND2471-8 294.9 93.6 1.086 1.0 3.2 0.3
NorValley 400.4 93.1 1.074 0.1 0.3 0.8
Norchip 287.8 93.3 1.086 0.4 2.4 1.1
Nordonna 277.4 95.2 1.068 0.1 0.0 0.2
Red Ruby 269.5 93.3 1.066 0.1 0.4 2.1
Red Norland 303.6 95.3 1.060 0.5 0.8 0.3

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