Study At Tulelake Field Station
May Help Improve Potato Yield
READY TO EMERGE This sprout was just about ready
to emerge from the soil. Most of the roots have been
cut away to show the' swellings at the stem nodes from
which the potatoes will develop. Note that there are two
sprouts from one eye. Each of these sprouts should pro
duce four marketable tubers for it to be a profitable
plant.
CONTRAST The plant on the left is healthy and the
stolons are clean and growing. The plant on the right has
lost all its first and second set and is struggling to establish
a third set. The roots have been cut away and both plants
had equal size fops.
r"lL it a!
LATER PHOTO Two healthy plants on the right and
two plants which have lost their first set, picture taken
on July 22. Both plants were equal for top size and appearance.
o
DEFORMITIES Once a first set is lost by rhizoctonia
the second set usually forms closer to the main stem as
shown in this picture. This causes a crowding and sub
sequent deformities. Rhizoctonia is sometimes seen on
the small tuber itself and although this tuber may sur
vive it will be scarred and deformed.
EXPLAINS DIFFERENCE Had rhizoctonia been con
trolled, all tubers on this stem would be the size of the
larqe one in this photo. This shows why some hills have
both large and small potatoes,
Basic research at the Tulelake
Field Station indicates a tremen
dous, untapped potential (or in
creasing potato yields and quali
ty. As part of a continuing in
vestigation into causes o! poor
potato yields. Burton J. Hoyle
superintendent of the station went
underground to study the essen
tial tuber development and to
find out what happens in its
early life.
This study revealed that the
average Gem potato plant us
ually starts out with over 30 tub
ers but misfortune overtakes most
of them leaving only one or two
marketable potatoes per plant.
This can be calculated, accord
ing to Hoyle, from the fact that
the usual Basin potato field is
planted with about 22.000 seed
pieces. If each seed piece pro
duced one plant of two, 8 ounce
potatoes the yield would be close
to 200 sacks of US No. Is, which
is just about the Basin's average
yield.
Doubling this would require
primarily the production of 4 to 6
marketable potatoes per plant
which essentially calls for fewer
casualties among the embryo
potatoes. The present limitations
to high yields lies in the fact that
too few of the right kind and too
many of the wrong kind of po
tatoes are produced.
The right kind of potatoes are
those where eight to 10 tubers
are formed early in the season.
The wrong kind are those plants
producing either too few or too
many potatoes per plant and
those formed too late in the sea
son to mature. Only by under
standing and controlling the fac
tors causing a good or bad set
of tubers can the yields be in
creased significantly.
When the seed piece is planted
in the spring it takes tliree to
four weeks to send up its stems
to the surface. There may be none
to eight or more per seed piece.
tach or these stems will pro
duce under certain conditions up
wards of 10 to 12 tubers. There
fore controlling the number of
stems through seed piece size,
storage, and handling is very
H important. By the time the stems
uatc i cauicu Mil; suiiaw mc;
are three to four inches in length
and at this very time a root
system is well started.
All of the roots start at specific
locations on the stem and usually
there are six areas from which
they develop. Each of these areas
is called a node and all nodes
lie between the seed piece and
the surface. This is why it
important to keep the surface
soil moist in the early life of the
potato because there are roots
in no other area. Adequate mois
ture here also affects the kind
and quality of crop.
At each of the nodes where a
cluster of roots have formed is
the birthplace of the new born
spud. Buried deep among the roots
and peeking from the stem one or
more stolon comes snaking into
the world. This string-like stolon
is lighter in color than the roots
and at its tip is a growing bud
which can be detected at the time
the leaves are just peeking
through -the surface soil to mark
the row. In a few days this bud
will form a small potato if it
stays underground or a leaf if
it pokes out into the air and
light.
There may be two or three sto
lons developing at each root node
and as they reach out M to two
inches the small tubers are much
in evidence. The tops are usually
two to four inches tall when these
are clearly seen, but much of
character and future performance
has already been determined,
Over the next period of ap
proximately two weeks one tuber
at each node usually outgrows
all the others at the same node
according to the research at the
field station. As this one tuber
enlarges it forms chemical sub
stances which are transmitted
back along the stolon to sup
press the other small, develop
ing tubers. These arrested tub
ers then dry up, fall off, or in
other ways disappear.
This is the natural way the
plant limits itself to the number
of potatoes it can adequately ma
ture. This stage of growth has
normally been reached two to
three weeks after emergence and
in another two weeks the top
growth should be maximum size.
If our plant has been normal
and healthy and cooperative with
the farmer it would most desir
ably be as follows: Have two'
to three stems with three to four
rapidly developing tubers on each
stem. All other small and unde
sirable ones would have been held
back or lost. From this time on,
little remains but to supply ade
quate water and fertilizer which
act to size the crop up.
Unfortunately there are villains
in all walks of life and the po
tato is no exception, with the
arch-enemy being a soil born
disease known as rhizoctonia.
ENTER THE VILLAIN
Rhizoctonia. the chief cause ol
low yields this disease comes
in several strains, is in most all
toils, and is also found on the skin
of potato seed pieces. Many grow
ers recognize tne oiscoioreo
streaks it causes on the main
stems of the potato plant but few
realize that the chief damage to
the potato is to tlie string-like
stolons, buried and almost in
visible among the roots.
Here, the rhizoctonia organism
attacks the buds, which would
have become potatoes, often be
fore the leaves emerge from the
ground. Or damage may be de
layed until the tubers get to pea-
size when rhizoctonia severs the
stolon in two leaving the baby
spud to die. In some cases the
tuber itself is attacked leaving
wounds and deformities to show
up later as culls.
Once the stolon has been sev
ered by this disease it dries up
and disappears in a few days
leaving no evidence for the grow
er to know that an embryo spud
once was there. Motlicr Nature
gives up hard, however, and has
endowed the spud plant with a
capacity to overcome disasters.
In this case the means is to send
out into the world a secondary
stolon, which had been lying dor
mant, to replace the first.
These become a second set of
tubers and if they survive are
one to two weeks behind what
the first set would have been.
Thus can never become as large.
The villain often strikes again
killing off the second and even
the third set. In fact in some
cases the plant never succeeds
in putting out a salable potato.
In severe cases where the third
and fourth sets are being attacked
the plants may remain small
and the tops suggest something is
rotten down below. Since the
roots are seldom bothered by our
villain and the stems may be
only slightly affected, it is not
uncommon to have a beautiful
uniform, field of tops for which
the grower is proud. Yet a first
set may have been lost and the
second set is never the quality
of the first. In this case it is
not "What's Up Front that
Counts." hut "It's What's Un
derneath That Counts."
When a first set is lost, the
plant as if to make up for the
loss is apt to overproduce the
number of tubers it can size up
resulting in numerous small ones.
Each stem apparently acts inde
pendently which accounts for
few plants having some real good
and many undesirable potatoes in
a given hill. It has been observed
in the research at the Tulelake
Field Station that the second
set contains many more deformed
as well as small potatoes.
Any plant producing fewer than
six to eight potatoes may be
judged to have been under a
severe stress at some time in its
like whether the evidence can be
seen or not. Rhizoctonia is the
most likely cause of this trouble
but other factors may have been
present also.
Some preliminary trials in
which rhizoctonia has been con
trolled at the station have shown
conclusively that the first set can
be maintained and when this is
accomplished there are few small
potatoes. Seed-piece size is a fac
tor in controlling rhizoctonia.
Small seed usually decays fast
er which forms a condition favor
ing the development of the soil
born disease. A two ounce seed
piece, well protected is the best
safeguard against rhizoctonia at
present. New equipment ac
quired by the Tulelake Field Sta
tion and cooperation with the in
dustry will make it possible to at
tack this disease problem by
soil treatments planned for next
year.
SUMMARY OF YIELD FACTORS
Altogether, yield of a single
potato plant is determined by the
combination of six factors:
1. The number of eves which
develop in the seed piece.
2. The total number of stems.
3. Number of nodes per stem.
4. Number of buds per node.
5. The number of tubers. .
6. The average weight per tub
er.
Cultural factors affecting any
one ol tnese six win alter me
form and quality of the final
yield. As our research progress
es each new chemical and method
will be tested as to which of the
six yield laciors it aitects, ana
how. By litis means the chief
unction of each yield factor will
be determined and controlled . at
will. Not only will tile doubling
of present yields be possible, but
controlling the crop for specific
type and size can be accom
pushed. The tirst step is the con
trol of rhizoctonia without which
increasing yield is problematical
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HERALD AND NEWS, Klamath Falls. Oregon
Tuesday. October 15, 1963
PACE"
Soil Tests In Fall Allow
Ample Time To Prepare
The cost of a planned continu
ing program of soil testing is
merely a small premium paid
by the farmer to assure full re
turns from a substantial annual
investment in fertilizer, lime or
soil amendments, reminds Ar
thur S. King, Oregon State Uni
versity extension soil conserva
tion specialist.
Soil tests taken in the fall can
assure the producer of hav
ing the proper information in
time to make plans for the next
year's soil fertility program,
King points out.
Farmers who take soil tests in
the fall have an opportunity to
obtain information to fully un
derstand the meaning of the
tost, he notes. They have ample
time to shop for the best com
bination of materials to fulfill
the test recommendations.
Often tests will show some ma
terials will be most effective if
applied in the fall or early win
ter. Soil samples arc analyzed at
the OSU Soil Testing Laboratory
lor a small fee. The results are
returned to the county extension
agent who will forward the re
port to the farmer with approp
riate recommendations, King
explained.
The laboratory is now in a po
sition to complete a test for ca
tion exchange capacity for an
additional fee, King said. Sam
ples submitted for this deter
mination must be taken on the
basis of soil type.
The cation exchange capacity
can be helpful in making better
lime and other soil fertility rec
ommendations, the specialist ex
plained. Many farmers are ask
ing about the exchange capacity
of different soils for use as
a basis for the application of
fumigants or other pesticides
applied by injection into the
soil.
The OSU Soil Testing Labora
t o r y was established to aid
Oregon farmers in improving
soil management practices. The
laboratory is operated on a self
sustaining basis, with soil test
fees paying for salaries, materi
als and equipment.
Stronger Organizations
Emphasized By Freeman
Inspections
SALEM tfPIi State Agricul
ture Department meat inspectors
checked 2'J7.64R animals for
slaughter during the first nine
months of this year, it was an
nounced today.
The department reported that
inspectors condemned 5(55 animals.
14 before slaughter and 551 whole
carcasses immediately after
slaughter.
MALE MARKETERS
CHICAGO UPl Men ac
company women shoppers in 34
per cent of super market shop
ping trips, reports Super Market
Institute. A study shows they add
about 3 to every $10 Ihe woman
s ponds.
Cheese Gets
Joint Boost
Oregon and Wisconsin joined
forces last week to give the na
tionwide Octolier Cheese Festi
val a send-off in Oregon.
Oregon Dairy Princess Linda
Olscn of Coos Bay represented
Oregon and Wisconsin's repre
sentative was that slate's
Alice in Dairyland, Miss Mari
lyn Dracgcr.
The itinerary for the two
dairy products representatives
took them to Salem where their
official visits included one to the
Oregon Department of Agricul
ture. In the absence of Director of
Agriculture James F. Short the
two were greeted by Paul Row
ell . chief of the department's
agricultural development divi
sion, and Kenneth Carl, chief
of the dairy and consumer serv
ices division.
In welcoming the visitor from
Wisconsin, who was in Oregon,
of course, to promote Wiscon
sin cheese, Rowcll commented
that Oregon 'dairy producers
were glad to join those of her
stale in featuring quality cheese
among all consumers.
He remarked that Oregon's
volume of cheese production did
not quite equal that of Wiscon
sin, but pointed to the fine
quality of Oregon's Ched
dar cheeses and reminded of
national awards taken by Ore
gon cheese.
Milk Under
Continued
Inspection
Pesticide residues have a
hard time hiding away in Ore
gon's milk supply.
The Oregon Department of
Agriculture laboratories arc
continually checking dairy prod
ucts of the slate for any trace of
residue, as none is permitted in
tlie milk supply.
When even a trace is found
the department follows with a
second check. This usually
shows all traces gone, as the de
partment checks for the source
of contamination, as well as
checking the producer's supply
for further contamination.
Testing of dairy products for
pesticide residues was started by
the department in 19M). In the
early years of testing small
traces that were not even meas
urable amounts often showed up
but there is little of this now,
according to J. D. I'attcrson,
chief chemist.
Ami. since the start of the
tests there have Iwcn only eight
instances of enough residue to
l)o measurable. The most re
cent was earlier this year. This
was DDT found in the Harris
burg area when cattle had been
dusted. A recheck showed not
even a trace.
In l'J62 residue was found
only once. This was lindane lo
cated in milk of a producer sup
plying the Portland area.
ICC Halts
Shipments
PORTLAND (UPI)-The Inter
state Commerce Commission has
ordered a temporary suspension
of grain shipments to Pacific
Northwest ports due to tlie back
log of wheat-filled railcurs cur
rently choking Oregon and Wash
ington railway sidings.
Some 8,000 cars are backed up
in the area awaiting shipment to
overseas points.
The glut is blamed on the later
than usual harvest in tlie wheat
areas of Oregon and Washington,
and the simultaneous movement
of the grain with regular ship
ments from Montana. The situa
tion is further compounded by
bumper crops from southern
Idaho.
Spokesmen for the Commodity
Credit Corp., a tederal agency,
and Cargill, Inc., one of the
world's largest grain dealers, say
the backlog has nothing to do
with tlie recent announced sale
of wheat to Russia.
11. C. Hcrington, traffic man
ager for Cargill in Portland, said
it would be about 15 days before
ports in the area would be cleared
of the present congestion so that
normal shipments from Inland
points can be resumed. '
Calama, in Chile's Alacama
Desert, has never recorded any
rainfall.
WASHINGTON (UPI) - Agri
culture Secretary Orville L. Free
man wants the Extension Service
to put more emphasis on leader
ship in rural area development
and less emphasis on tlie tradi
tional job of helping farmers
grow bigger crops.
The change in the extension
program was underlined last
week when Freeman announced
tlie appointment of Dr. Lloyd Da
vis as the new administrator of
the Federal Extension Service.
The federal agency, a part of
the Agriculture Department, co.
operates with the 50 state exten
sion srvices in educational pro
grams.
In announcing Davis' appoint
ment, Freeman said the Federal
Extension Service, through its
tics to the states, a strategic role
to help people organize for eco
nomic growth.
Freeman said tlie extension!
service has been shifting its em
phasis in this dirclion. We ex
pect rural areas development
will receive even more emphasis
in extension work in the future,"
he said.
The Agriculture Secretary said
the nation s great progress in
feed production has released ag
ricultural resources for new rural '
industies, recreation and other
enterprises.
Davis, the new Federal Exten
sion Director, had been serving
as deputy director since 1962 and
as acting director since last June.
Dr. E. T. York Jr., the former
Federal Extension chief, resigned
in June to tako a post at the
University of Florida.
A native of Tennessee, Davis
earlier had held extension jobs at
Cornell University and at the Uni.
versity of Massachusetts.
The Agriculture Department
predicted tlie 1983 honey crop is
expected to set a new record of
291,249,000 pounds.
This would be six per cent
above the previous record, which -.
was set in 1961. It would be sevr .
en per cent bigger than last
year's honey crop.
The increase in production this
year is due largely to stepped-up
productivitp in bee colonies.
USDA's crop reporting board said
the number of colonies on hand
at the beginning of the 1963 sea
son was up one per cent from
last year. The estimated produc
tion per colony this year is up to
an average ot nearly 52' j pounds,
up six per cent from last year.
the Agriculture Department
said that both domestic and ex
port markets for honey this year
have been stronger than a year
ago.
Freeman reported that three
countries which export dairy
products to tlie United States
have agreed to limit their ship
ments in rjt;s ana 1964.
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which it carrying its weight for tho farmer. Ths itolons
or free from rhiioctonia and hv five tubers all from
the first it, each from t different node. This wai on Aug.
5. Through July that potatoei ware found to be inereai
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