Search

Due to rapid population growth, agri-food systems have been under increasing pressure to adapt and innovate to sustainably meet the growing demand for food. This requires advances in agricultural practices, technology and distribution networks. Farmer training has been proven to be a crucial component in this transformative process. Equipping farmers with the necessary knowledge and skills becomes paramount to optimize agricultural productivity while also improving their coping with the effects of climate change. This study applied the difference-in-difference method with inverse probability-weighted regression to analyze the impact of farmer training on potato yield. Results showed that 40% of farmers who received training interventions were members of farmer groups and had more farming experience compared to the control group. Additionally, the annual crop enterprise revenue for training participants was USD 255 compared to USD 134 for the control group. Results also showed that potato farmers who participated in positive selection training reported an increase in yield by 14%. On average, training participants were able to increase their potato yield by 1.33 tons per acre. These findings demonstrate the importance of providing targeted training and specific skills in order to enhance farm output. Furthermore, improving access to credit and supporting effective participation in farmer groups would increase farm yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unintended sprouting of potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum) occurs within the professional production chain during transportation or storage due to the break of dormancy by changing environmental conditions. The sprouting of high-quality seed potatoes, for example, results in huge amounts of sprouts which complicate the planting process and are, therefore, manually removed and discarded. However, such sprouts can be very useful and sustainable when used as propagation material, helping to avoid losses of seed potatoes and increasing productivity per individual seed potato tuber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potato industry is crucial to the development of the agricultural economy, and mechanized seeding is an effective aid to its modernization. Due to the metering devices having different sizes and structures, and even control, operation of sudden instability and other characteristics, and the complexity and variability of the farmland environment and other reasons, the mechanical sowing process may be affected by internal and external random and unpredictable factors, thus causing seed potato leakage, reseeding, and other phenomena and resulting in a decline in the quality of potato sowing brought about by the cascade effect: the quality and yield decline, precision sowing has become the modern potato production in the problem of modern potato production needs to be solved. This paper reviews the potato planter around the seeding quality of single seeding, plant spacing, depth and other directions of device optimization and digital sensing technology innovation involved, which single seeding direction from a variety of metering devices and the use of other sowing methods of potato planter detection, replanting, metering and other parts of the entry, and the introduction of the other field crops crop related research to provide a more comprehensive perspective. The advantages and disadvantages of the related research were compared and the existing problems were analyzed, and the future development direction of potato precision sowing technology was prospected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality inspection of potato seed tubers is pivotal for their effective segregation and a critical step in the cultivation process of potatoes. Given the dearth of research on intelligent tuber-cutting machinery in China, particularly concerning the identification of bud eyes and defect detection, this study has developed a multi-target recognition approach for potato seed tubers utilizing deep learning techniques. By refining the YOLOv5s algorithm, a novel, lightweight model termed DCS-YOLOv5s has been introduced for the simultaneous identification of tuber buds and defects. This study initiates with data augmentation of the seed tuber images obtained via the image acquisition system, employing strategies such as translation, noise injection, luminance modulation, cropping, mirroring, and the Cutout technique to amplify the dataset and fortify the model's resilience. Subsequently, the original YOLOv5s model undergoes a series of enhancements, including the substitution of the conventional convolutional modules in the backbone network with the depth-wise separable convolution DP_Conv module to curtail the model's parameter count and computational load; the replacement of the original C3 module's Bottleneck with the GhostBottleneck to render the model more compact; and the integration of the SimAM attention mechanism module to augment the model's proficiency in capturing features of potato tuber buds and defects, culminating in the DCS-YOLOv5s lightweight model. The research findings indicate that the DCS-YOLOv5s model outperforms the YOLOv5s model in detection precision and velocity, exhibiting superior detection efficacy and model compactness. The model's detection metrics, including Precision, Recall, and mean Average Precision at Intersection over Union thresholds of 0.5 (mAP1) and 0.75 (mAP2), have improved to 95.8%, 93.2%, 97.1%, and 66.2%, respectively, signifying increments of 4.2%, 5.7%, 5.4%, and 9.8%. The detection velocity has also been augmented by 12.07%, achieving a rate of 65 FPS. The DCS-YOLOv5s target detection model, by attaining model compactness, has substantially heightened the detection precision, presenting a beneficial reference for dynamic sample target detection in the context of potato-cutting machinery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus optimization is essential to maximize seed-size potato productivity and reduce the occurrence of over-sized and under-sized tubers. A field experiment was conducted for two years at the two locations in Punjab, India to investigate the effects of organic and inorganic phosphorus management on seed potato productivity. The experiment was conducted in a split-plot design with three organic (farmyard manure, biofertilizer, and control) treatments in main plots and five fertilizer phosphorus (0, 46.9, 62.5, 93.8, and 125 kg/ha P2O5) treatments in subplots. The application of farmyard manure (50 t/ha) resulted in a significant increase in growth and yield attributes, tuber yield, seed size (3.5–4.5 cm) tuber number, and economic returns. The percentage increase in seed size tuber number and tuber yield with farmyard manure over the control was 36.6% and 29.3%, respectively. Among the fertilizer phosphorus levels, the highest growth attributes, tuber yield, seed size tuber number and economic returns were obtained with a 125 kg/ha. The application of 125 kg/ha fertilizer phosphorus resulted in a 36.3% and 23.0% (mean) increase in seed size tuber number and tuber yield compared to the unfertilized phosphorus (0 kg/ha). No significant organic sources x fertilizer phosphorus levels interaction effects were found on any of the traits evaluated at both locations. The result of this study indicates that P management can play an important role in increasing seed size and productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article, "Planting Potatoes with Science," explores a school-based educational project that introduces elementary students to agriculture through hands-on potato cultivation following the IAC Sprout/Seed-Potato Tecnology, particularly focusing on plant health and virus prevention. Conducted with scientific guidance from the Agronomic Institute of Campinas (IAC) and supported by the Julius Kühn Institute, this program allows students to observe the effects of plant viruses on crop yield by growing both healthy and virus-infected potatoes. The initiative aims to reduce urban populations' growing disconnect from food production, fostering a deeper understanding of sustainable agricultural practices. The project incorporates three dimensions of sustainability: ecological (demonstrating how agricultural practices impact the environment), economic (highlighting the economic value of resource-efficient farming), and social (promoting awareness of collective agricultural responsibility). By engaging students in plant care, growth monitoring, and final harvest activities, the project not only educates them about agricultural science but also cultivates critical thinking, environmental awareness, and an appreciation for food production's complexities. This successful 15-year initiative underscores the potential of integrating agricultural science into early education, encouraging future consumer consciousness and a foundation for informed, sustainability-minded decision-making.

Due to rapid population growth, agri-food systems have been under increasing pressure to adapt and innovate to sustainably meet the growing demand for food. This requires advances in agricultural practices, technology and distribution networks. Farmer training has been proven to be a crucial component in this transformative process. Equipping farmers with the necessary knowledge and skills becomes paramount to optimize agricultural productivity while also improving their coping with the effects of climate change. This study applied the difference-in-difference method with inverse probability-weighted regression to analyze the impact of farmer training on potato yield. Results showed that 40% of farmers who received training interventions were members of farmer groups and had more farming experience compared to the control group. Additionally, the annual crop enterprise revenue for training participants was USD 255 compared to USD 134 for the control group. Results also showed that potato farmers who participated in positive selection training reported an increase in yield by 14%. On average, training participants were able to increase their potato yield by 1.33 tons per acre. These findings demonstrate the importance of providing targeted training and specific skills in order to enhance farm output. Furthermore, improving access to credit and supporting effective participation in farmer groups would increase farm yields.

The degradation of seed potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a crucial factor that hinders the development of the potato industry. The disease situation of different grades of seed potatoes in the field after sowing is often varied, impacting their biological characteristics and final economic outcomes. The purpose of this research is to analyze virus reinfection in different grades of seed potatoes (pre- elite, elite, qualified Ⅰ and qualified Ⅱ) of the variety 'Zangnongshu 1' after planting in the field, and to compare the growth, tuber quality, and yield. Only potato virus S was detected in the corresponding plants of the pre-elite. However, potato leafroll virus and potato virus S were detected in plants of other grades. At the same time, the incidence and disease index of potato leafroll virus and potato virus S in the pre- elite group were very low, while the qualified Ⅱ group showed the opposite trend. During the process of plant growth and development, the chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rate of leaves at the budding stage were the highest. The chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rate decreased with the decrease in grades of seed potatoes, while the plant height showed minimal variation. Although the starch and dry matter contents in potato tubers of different grades showed little difference, the reducing sugar content decreased as the grades of seed potatoes decreased. The statistical results of yield and marketable tuber percentage indicated that the pre- elite group had the highest values, while the qualified Ⅱ group had the lowest. There was little difference between the elite and qualified Ⅰ groups. Considering the cost and economic benefit, the seed potatoes of elite and qualified Ⅰ should be considered in the production of 'Zangnongshu 1' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potato industry is crucial to the development of the agricultural economy, and mechanized seeding is an effective aid to its modernization. Due to the metering devices having different sizes and structures, and even control, operation of sudden instability and other characteristics, and the complexity and variability of the farmland environment and other reasons, the mechanical sowing process may be affected by internal and external random and unpredictable factors, thus causing seed potato leakage, reseeding, and other phenomena and resulting in a decline in the quality of potato sowing brought about by the cascade effect: the quality and yield decline, precision sowing has become the modern potato production in the problem of modern potato production needs to be solved. This paper reviews the potato planter around the seeding quality of single seeding, plant spacing, depth and other directions of device optimization and digital sensing technology innovation involved, which single seeding direction from a variety of metering devices and the use of other sowing methods of potato planter detection, replanting, metering and other parts of the entry, and the introduction of the other field crops crop related research to provide a more comprehensive perspective. The advantages and disadvantages of the related research were compared and the existing problems were analyzed, and the future development direction of potato precision sowing technology was prospected.

Addressing poor seed quality is pivotal for increased potato yields in Kenya. For this to be realized there is a need for nutrient optimization in the hydroponic system. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of nutrient stock solution concentrations on the quality of minitubers produced under a hydroponic system. Two greenhouse experiments were set up at Egerton University, Kenya in 2022. The treatments included three nutrient solution concentrations: 75% (N75), 100% (N100) and 125% (N125) and four potato varieties (Wanjiku, Unica, Shangi and Nyota) grown in a cocopeat substrate hydroponic system. The results indicated that the application of N125 produced minitubers that had significantly higher specific gravity, dry matter, starch, ash and sugar content. Crude protein and phosphorus did not differ significantly with the application of varying nutrient concentrations. The varieties did not differ significantly in the quality parameters except for total sugars where Unica was significantly different from Nyota and Wanjiku while Shangi did not differ from all varieties. Therefore, it will be advisable to apply 125% of the ADC-Molo recommended nutrient stock formulation which should be considered as an effective method of increasing minitubers quality under a hydroponic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing the productivity of seed potato production systems by improving the size of the tubers is a primary concern. Punjab, a state located in the northwest region of India, meets 60% of the country's seed requirements. In order to optimize the morpho‐physiological aspects, root structure, and overall yield of seed‐sized tubers, research trials were carried out at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana over two consecutive years. The trial consisted of 11 different treatments and was conducted using a randomized complete block design with three replications. The application of Gibberellic acid at a concentration of 200 ppm, at 45 and 60 days after sowing (DAS), resulted in significantly higher yields of seed‐sized tubers measuring <4.5 cm. This treatment also exhibited superior root architecture parameters and accumulation of dry matter, outperforming all other growth regulation treatments. Compared to the untreated control group, the Gibberellic acid application led to a remarkable increase of 45.9% and 39.8% in seed‐sized tuber yields. Furthermore, it significantly boosted the protein, starch, antioxidant (total phenols), sugar (total and reducing), and mineral content (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) in the tubers, surpassing the effects of all other growth regulation treatments. These results suggested that the exogenous use of gibberellic acid (200 ppm) at 45 and 60 DAS substantially improved the physiology, root architecture, and yield of seed‐sized tubers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The profitability and initial development of potatoes depend on the type of substrate used in planting. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate combinations of substrates for the production of minitubers of potatoes. An experiment was carried out with the combinations of substrates based on sphagnum peat, coconut fiber, rice husks, and expanded vermiculite [TFCV]; and sphagnum peat and expanded vermiculite [TV], in different proportions (100%; 75%; 50%; 25%), with five replications. The treatments were: (i) TFCV100%; (ii) TFCV75%+TV25%; (iii) TFCV50%+TV50%; (iv) TFCV25%+TV75%; and (v) TV100%. At 40 and 70 days after planting (DAP), the development of shoots, tubers, and roots was monitored. Results showed that the isolated application of TV showed the highest production of fresh mass of tubers (93.0 g), and fresh (0.28 g) and dry mass of roots (0.17 g). At 40 DAP, tuber production was highly correlated with the root part (r: 0.77). However, after 70 DAP, tuber production was associated with shoot development (r: 0.66). If is necessary to mix substrates recommend the mixing of TFCV50% + TV50%. The addition of coconut fiber and rice husk increases the availability of nutrients in the substrate with a positive effect on the aerial development of the plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato is an important food and cash crop globally and faces many challenges in Pakistan. These challenges include issues with soil fertility, pest and disease pressure and shortages of high-quality seed potatoes. The scarcity of high-quality seeds is a massive hassle in Pakistan. Farmers in Pakistan, often reuse their seeds or obtain them from informal sources. This practice leads to increased seed quality deterioration and tuber-borne diseases, resulting in decreased yields. To address this situation, aeroponic techniques can effectively meet this challenge. Aeroponics is a novel technique for producing high-quality seed potato, aiming to address the challenge of seed production. Aeroponic techniques are commercially practised in many countries. Thus, in this review, we have highlighted the importance of aeroponic technology and how this technique can help uplift/boost up the seed potato production system in Pakistan. The overview concludes that aeroponic seed production offers numerous benefits, including improved yields, and resistance, even as keeping natural resources. Despite the challenges, the evaluation indicates that the implementation of aeroponic seed production technology in Pakistan may offers a promising and sustainable technique for seed potato production in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed potato crop in the north-western parts of India is largely grown after paddy in strict compliance to various components of the Seed Plot Technique, with planting during the first fortnight of October and haulm-cutting in the last week of December for minimum exposure to virus-transmitting aphid vectors. Owing to the government restrictions on the date of seeding and transplanting of paddy to maintain the level of the underground water table, the harvesting of paddy often gets delayed in the region. However, quality seed potatoes can be produced only if the planting and haulm cutting dates are adjusted as per the activity of virus-transmitting insect vectors. Therefore, we conducted field experiments for 2 years to study the effect of planting dates on plant growth parameters and tuber yield of two popular cultivars Kufri Pukhraj and Kufri Jyoti. Vector populations were also examined in all the planting dates until dehaulming. Results showed that the yield of seed-size tubers was at par for the first three dates of planting (15 Oct., 25 Oct., and 05 Nov.). The number and yield of over-sized tubers decreased sharply, and that of under-sized tubers increased with progressive delay in planting. The activity of virus-transmitting aphids and whiteflies remained low from mid-November to mid-January, with an appreciable effect of the daily temperature. Hence, planting up to the last week of October and dehaulming before the second week of January do not affect the yield of seed-size tubers significantly. On the other hand, to ensure the quality of the product, continuous monitoring of vector activity is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato viruses PLRV, PVY, PVM, PVA, PVX and PVS can cause up to 90% loss of potato harvest. Therefore, they are monitored by law in many countries using DAS-ELISA or conventional real-time RT-qPCR. Previously, we developed a multiplex real-time DiRT-PCR (Direct reverse transcript – polymerase chain reaction), which works directly on diluted tuber sap and thus saves time and chemical processing for RNA extraction or time and space in the glasshouse. So far, this method only ran on sap of single tubers which is not practical for routine testing. We are now able to sensitively test for the presence of six viruses in two multiplex reactions using the real-time DiRT-PCR on pooled samples of ten tubers. Here we show that there is an "almost perfect" agreement (Gwet's AC1 index) comparing this multiplex real-time DiRT-PCR on pooled samples with DAS-ELISA and a commercial RT-qPCR kit with a rapid extraction method. The multiplex real-time DiRT-PCR is now ready to be used for routine testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cutting is a crucial agricultural practice, and its impact on potato growth varies depending on the extent of the cut. A randomized complete block design was employed in an experiment to explore the impact of cutting timing, frequency, and cutting height on potato yield and tuber size distribution. It was found that a single cutting at the late seedling stage or tuber formation stage, with a cutting intensity at 1/3 or 1/4 of the plant height, had no significant impact on potato yield. However, conducting two cuttings during the late seedling stage and tuber formation stage resulted in a significant reduction in potato yield. The cutting treatment substantially increased the number of small tubers (<50 g). Compared to the control group (CK, conventional cultivation), the tuber number per plant was significantly increased in 20- 50 g, when 1/3 of the plant was cut during tuber formation. Except for two treatments, which involved cutting 1/4 of the plant once at the late seedling stage or plus cutting 1/4 of the plant at the tuber formation again, the remaining six cutting treatments all significantly increased the tuber number per plant in <20 g. A single cut at the late seedling stage or tuber formation stage did not result in a significant difference in above ground biomass per plant compared to the CK, indicating a compensatory effect of appropriate cutting during the early growth stage of potatoes. In conclusion, a single cut at the late seedling stage or tuber formation stage does not impact potato yield but could increase the number and weight of small tubers, which is advantageous for seed potato production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato blackleg is a common bacterial disease that causes serious losses in potato (Solanum tuberosum') production worldwide. Despite this, relatively little is known of the landscape epidemiology of this disease. This study provides the first national-scale analysis of spatial and spatiotemporal patterns of blackleg incidence rates and associated risk factors for disease at the landscape scale. This was achieved through a combination of ArcGIS and interpretable machine learning applied to a longitudinal dataset of naturally infected seed potato crops from across Scotland. We found striking differences in long-term disease outcomes across the country and identified that features (variables) related to the health status and management of mother crops (seed stocks), matching features in daughter crops, and the characteristics of surrounding potato crop distributions were the most important predictors of disease, followed by field, bioclimatic, and soil features. Our approach provides a comprehensive overview of potato blackleg at a national scale, new epidemiological insights, and an accurate model that could serve as the basis of a decision support tool for improved blackleg management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the current situation of seed potato production under farm size expansion, based on farm management data from town A in the Tokachi region of Hokkaido. Firstly are shown the trend of expansion of farm size, and the change in the planted area of potatoes in 2004 and 2021. Secondly, the production status of seed potatoes is clarified from the relationship between the agricultural management area and the planted area. As a result of that, it is found that although potatoes are a labor-intensive crop, the cultivated area is expanding along with the farm size. However, when focusing on seed potatoes, there is a limit to the expansion of the planted area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural mechanization is a fundamental component of agricultural and rural mechanization. Owing to the special climate and location, it is suitable for Weiyuan County, Gansu Province, to produce seed potatoes. However, the agricultural machinery is currently not in common use. In order to accelerate the application of agricultural machinery in the process of production and supply of seed potatoes, Weiyuan County has introduced and promoted new agricultural machinery equipment, and carried out exploration and practice of the mechanization in the core area. Through practical exploration, effectiveness investigation, trend understanding, and problem analysis, it is proposed to promote the integration of seed potato planting and agricultural machinery through three measures: the construction of suitable machinery for arable land, the regional layout of agronomy, and the promotion of suitable agricultural machinery, in order to achieve the full mechanization of seed potato production and sales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing poor seed quality is pivotal for increased potato yields in Kenya. For this to be realized there is a need for nutrient optimization in the hydroponic system. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of nutrient stock solution concentrations on the quality of minitubers produced under a hydroponic system. Two greenhouse experiments were set up at Egerton University, Kenya in 2022. The treatments included three nutrient solution concentrations: 75% (N75), 100% (N100) and 125% (N125) and four potato varieties (Wanjiku, Unica, Shangi and Nyota) grown in a cocopeat substrate hydroponic system. The results indicated that the application of N125 produced minitubers that had significantly higher specific gravity, dry matter, starch, ash and sugar content. Crude protein and phosphorus did not differ significantly with the application of varying nutrient concentrations. The varieties did not differ significantly in the quality parameters except for total sugars where Unica was significantly different from Nyota and Wanjiku while Shangi did not differ from all varieties. Therefore, it will be advisable to apply 125% of the ADC-Molo recommended nutrient stock formulation which should be considered as an effective method of increasing minitubers quality under a hydroponic system.

Most of the quality indicators regulated by the standard for seed potato certification are determined by the subjective component, that is, the competence of the personnel. However, the regulatory framework does not establish criteria for assessing competence, which poses uncontrolled risks in the laboratory. The purpose of the study is to develop and investigate the methodology for assessing the competence of laboratory personnel involved in the testing of seed potatoes and determine the extent of application of the methodology. The methods of probability theory and mathematical statistics are used for the tasks of selection and research of statistical criteria that correspond to the law of distribution of the obtained data and provide the necessary reliability for the available sample volumes. The statistics and the method of determining the threshold value, which mathematically describes the decision-making on competence, are provided for the binomial distribution law. The properties of the proposed statistical method for assessing the competence of personnel in terms of finding the maximum differences in the results of the analysis, at which the personnel are recognised as competent, are investigated. The study demonstrates the dependence of the method capacity on the data volume. It is determined that to obtain a confidence probability of 0.95 for quality indicators, the content of which in the average sample according to the technical conditions is minimal, the sample size should be 600-1000 tubers. At the same time, up to 100 tubers are sufficient for indicators whose content is under 5%. The method proposed by the authors showed that the average sample of 250 tubers recommended by the standard is entirely justified in terms of attracting resources during certification but must be adjusted during competence monitoring in a testing laboratory that confirms its competence by the requirements of DSTU ISO IEC 17025:2019. The findings presented can be used by the personnel in the seed testing laboratories as a measure to minimise the risks caused by the impact of personnel incompetence

The quality certification system is an effective means to improve the seed quality level and standardize the seed market order in the world, but China has not yet established a quality certification system. To explore the feasibility and operability of the seed potato quality certification system, through the organization and implementation of the certification pilot work for the potato "large seed county" enterprises in Ulanqab City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the specific implementation process of the certification pilot work was sorted out and summarized, the effectiveness of the seed potato quality certification pilot demonstration was evaluated, and the technical points of seed potato quality certification work were summarized according to the certification pilot work, to provide a basis for the implementation of the seed potato quality certification system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aphid transmitted viruses are the most significant constraint for quality seed potato production. Potato virus Y and Potato leaf roll virus are the most important aphid transmitted viruses in potato, which can be transmitted by a large number of aphid species. In order to determine the species composition of aphids infesting potato crops and to determine their viruliferous nature, aphid samples were collected from all the potatoes growing zones in India. Fourteen distinct aphid species were identified from 541 samples using morphological and molecular characterization. The identified species include Aphis craccivora, A. gossypii, A. fabae, A. spiraecola, Aulacorthum solani, Macrosiphum euphorbiae, Rhopalosiphum rufiabdominale, and Myzus persicae among the colonizing species and A. nerii, R. padi, R. maidis, Hyadaphis coriandri, Brevicoryne brassicae, and Lipaphis erysimi among the non-colonizing species. M. persicae and A. gossypii were the most abundant and most widespread species on potato in the country. Based on whole body testing of aphid samples through RT-PCR, M. persicae, A. gossypii, A. solani, and M. euphorbiae were found positive for PVY while M. persicae and A. gossypii tested positive for PLRV, which could potentially transmit the respective viruses in potato crops. The current study revealed that aphid species other than M. persicae could be important in determining the virus incidence in seed crops in the country. Therefore, management decisions should include such information to maintain the health standard of seed stocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modern system of seed potato production and commercial quality control was developed by Russian Research Centre of Potatoes and approved further by Interstate Council for Standardization, Metrology and Certification. The major aspects concerning the common terminology, classification, specifications and methods for determining the quality adopted in Russia and unified with international systems and UNECE-Standard. In the present study minimum requirements for early generation seed production (original seed), further multiplication (elite seeds) and for end-use ware potato production (reproductive seed) is presented. Which includes: varietal identity and purity, diseases and pests, external tuber quality, sizing and labeling. The modern system of seed potato quality control includes field surveys during crop growth, post-harvest control (tuber analysis) and comparative field trial of seed potato samples. The major objective of comparative field trial in 2020-2021 crop seasons with the normative tolerances of the standard requirements related to varietal identity and purity and the level of viral and bacterial diseases transmitted through seed material. 288 samples of original seed potatoes were evaluated on the test-plot of the experimental base located at «Korenevo» of the Russian Research Centre of Potatoes (Moscow region) to determine their varietal identity, the presence or absence of other variants and plants affected by virus and bacterial diseases. Results of comparative field trial of original seed potato samples are considered in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, potatoes are cultivated mainly in the sub-tropical Indo-Gangetic plains during winter. The winged morphs of peach-potato aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) appear on the potato crops in the first fortnight of November and continue to reproduce parthenogenetically till March and disappear afterward. To determine its thermal requirement, we evaluated the immature development and survival of M. persicae on potato at eleven constant temperatures, for both the apterous and alate morphs. Myzus persicae nymphs developed to the adult stage at constant temperatures from 5.4 to 31 °C but failed to achieve adult emergence at 32 °C, the highest temperature. However, winged adults were produced only at set temperatures from 5.4 to 26.4 °C. The immature survival rate was high at 7.3 through 26.4 °C and decreased considerably beyond this range. The lower temperature thresholds (Tmin) were estimated as 4.13 ± 0.38 °C and 4.35 ± 0.74 °C for apterae and alatae, respectively. The thermal requirement (degree days) for the development of alate morphs was found appreciably higher in comparison to apterae, 128.20 ± 7.06 and 108.69 ± 3.07, respectively. Among the non-linear models, the estimates obtained from Bayoh model reflected the actual experimental value of temperature thresholds. Based on the accumulated degree day's calculation, the alate morphs could complete 8.9 – 10.9 generations while the apterous morphs could complete 10.7 – 13.1 generations in the whole growing season. This information will help understand the population growth of the aphid in the sub-tropical plains and improve the efficacy of management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four microplant planting densities (PD) for greenhouse production of minitubers of three varieties were used to assess the agronomic and economic efficiencies of increased PD compared to the baseline density (63 microplants m−2). The field performance of minitubers was also included in the agronomic (yield formation) efficiency assessment of minitubers production. The concept of a field value (FV) of greenhouse area and of microplant was introduced. Economic assessment of PD changes was based on partial budget analysis and the marginal rate of return between PDs in ascending order. Agronomic efficiency assessment, as an efficient utilization of greenhouse space, revealed that the number of minitubers per m2 increased gradually with increasing PD and the magnitude of the increase was up to 2.6 times between PD 63 and 184 microplants m−2 making this PD the most effective of the studied. The change in minituber number per microplant due to the increased PDs was closely related to the economic efficiency assessment. In the baseline scenario (microplant cost of 0.54 € and minituber cost of 0.41 €), only the shift from PD63 to PD95 was efficient without trade-offs for only one of three varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mulch prevents moisture loss, maintains soil temperature, suppresses weed growth, facilitates microbial growth, prevents soil erosion and compaction; thus, maintains soil fertility. Mulching is recommended in potato production for its soil moisture conservation potentiality. In general, organic mulches like water hyacinth, rice straw, wheat straw and rice husk are widely used as mulch material in potato production. To explore the consequences of using various mulch materials on potato, particularly in yield and grading an experiment was conducted at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka. Five potato varieties viz., Asterix, Lady rosetta, Courage, Diamant and BARI TPS-1 were considered and different treatments were no mulch, water hyacinth, rice straw and rice husk. Randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used to design the experiment and three replications was done to maintain better estimation. Tuber yield and tuber size were measured after harvesting and then grading was done according to the sizes to compare the variations among the treatments. Different potato varieties and/or mulch materials was seen to generate a significant change on maximum yield and quality contributing parameters like marketable yield, seed potato, french fry and chips potato in field condition. Diamant produced the highest amount of tuber, marketable and seed potato yield over other five varieties. On the other hand, Courage showed the highest non-marketable and non-seed tuber production while giving a good amount of chips potato comparing other varieties. Rice straw showed the best performance among the three mulch materials, when comparing tuber yield, marketable yield and seed potato, as opposed to no mulch condition performed better in chips potato production only.

Most of the quality indicators regulated by the standard for seed potato certification are determined by the subjective component, that is, the competence of the personnel. However, the regulatory framework does not establish criteria for assessing competence, which poses uncontrolled risks in the laboratory. The purpose of the study is to develop and investigate the methodology for assessing the competence of laboratory personnel involved in the testing of seed potatoes and determine the extent of application of the methodology. The methods of probability theory and mathematical statistics are used for the tasks of selection and research of statistical criteria that correspond to the law of distribution of the obtained data and provide the necessary reliability for the available sample volumes. The statistics and the method of determining the threshold value, which mathematically describes the decision-making on competence, are provided for the binomial distribution law. The properties of the proposed statistical method for assessing the competence of personnel in terms of finding the maximum differences in the results of the analysis, at which the personnel are recognised as competent, are investigated. The study demonstrates the dependence of the method capacity on the data volume. It is determined that to obtain a confidence probability of 0.95 for quality indicators, the content of which in the average sample according to the technical conditions is minimal, the sample size should be 600-1000 tubers. At the same time, up to 100 tubers are sufficient for indicators whose content is under 5%. The method proposed by the authors showed that the average sample of 250 tubers recommended by the standard is entirely justified in terms of attracting resources during certification but must be adjusted during competence monitoring in a testing laboratory that confirms its competence by the requirements of DSTU ISO IEC 17025:2019. The findings presented can be used by the personnel in the seed testing laboratories as a measure to minimise the risks caused by the impact of personnel incompetence . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Petroleum-derived spray oils are long known to possess insecticidal activity. Lately, there is renewed interest in the use of mineral oils for the management of in-season spread of Potato virus Y (PVY) in seed potatoes. Mineral oils are environmentally benign and least prone to resistance development in target insect pests. Therefore, their use in integrated pest management is believed to be more sustainable in the long run. Mineral oils have been demonstrated to reduce the spread of PVY by more than 50% in comparison with untreated control on many occasions. The usual practice is to apply 5 to 10 L per ha with season long spraying programme at weekly intervals. Mineral oils possess direct toxicity towards the vector aphids, interfere with feeding behaviour and binding of virions within the stylets of aphids, and impede the infection process post-inoculation. All these together or alone contribute to reducing the spread of non-persistent viruses like PVY in the field. However, the mineral oils show inconsistent performance over seasons. Also, the field spread of persistent viruses is not affected as much. Perhaps the most important limitation of mineral oils is the necessity for complete coverage of the foliage. Therefore, fresh foliage after treatment continues to be susceptible to probing by aphids and the consequent virus transmission. Furthermore, mineral oils are applied more frequently in the early season and also when the aphid flight activity is higher. In combination with other methods, e.g. insecticides and straw mulch, mineral oils have been demonstrated to be more efficacious on occasions. Mineral oils will continue to be an important component of pest management in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficacy of new-chemistry insecticides viz., dinotefuran, diafenthiuron, flupyradifurone and pymetrozine was evaluated against whitefly, Bemisia tabaci and the peach-potato aphid, Myzus persicae in separate trials. Against whitefly adults, diafenthiuron 50 WP @ 0.08% and @ 0.1%, and pymetrozine 50 WG @ 0.06% and 0.08% performed best till 14 DAT with over 80% reduction in whitefly incidence. Against the peach-potato aphids, Flupyradifurone 200 SL @ 0.1%, diafenthiuron 50 WP @ 0.06% and 0.08% and pymetrozine 50 WG @ 0.04%, 0.06% and 0.08% performed on a par and reduced the aphid incidence by more than 80% throughout the period. Consequent incidence of viruses was also found lowest for the respective treatments. Therefore, diafenthiuron 50 WP @ 0.08% and pymetrozine 50 WG @ 0.06% can be used for the management of whiteflies, and flupyradifurone 200 SL @ 0.1%, diafenthiuron 50 WP @ 0.06% and pymetrozine 50 WG @ 0.04% can be used for the management of peach-potato aphids in potato crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of aphid species monitoring in the seed potato crop during the growing season using Moerike aphids trap in 2020 and 2021 at INCDCSZ Braov. Aphids control as direct pests is rarely justified in potato crop but absolutely necessary to prevent indirect damages caused by infecting potato plants with viruses transmitted by aphids. The aphids monitoring in seed potato crops is absolutely necessary to reduce the risk of the appearance and development of aphid populations, implicitly to decrease the incidence of viral contamination. During the two years of study, winged aphids were collected using yellow water traps, The vector aphid species were identified from the total of collected aphids. The identification resulted in a number of 20 vector species (682 - total number of individuals) in 2020 and 24 vector species (1843 - total number of individuals) in 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] The present paper aimed to explore the effects of mixture of uniconazole and pendimethalin on the germination and physiological effects of potato seed potatoes, and to determine its suitable ratio acting as potato seed potato inhibitors. [Method] According to the different ratios of active ingredient of uniconazole and pendimethalin, eight treatments with different concentration concentrations were obtained using water as a control. The sprout inhibition effect of the mixture on the potato seed and the bud length, germination rate, weight loss rate, and reducing sugar content were also measured during storage stage. [Result] The mixture had a significant sprout inhibition effect on potato seed. When the potatoes were stored for 60 days, the treatment A0 B0 had the highest reducing sugar content, reaching 51. 0087 mg/ g, and was extremely significant with other treatments (P < 0. 01) ; when stored for 75 days, the peroxidase activity of potato seed in the A0B0 was decreased to a minimum of 3. 7133 (0. 01A470 ·min-1), which was extremely different from those of the A2 B0 and A3 B1 treatments. When the potato seed was stored for 90 days, the weight loss rate and germination rate of A0 B0 treatment reached the highest, being 21. 01 % and 96. 13 %, respectively, and were extremely significant with other treatments (P < 0. 01). When the potato seeds were stored for 90 days, the longest potato sprout length of A0 B0 reached 23. 06 mm and was extremely different with other treatments (P < 0. 01) . [Conclusion] The mixture A3 B1 (dimethalin 330 mg/L plus uniconazole 25 mg/L) was selected as the appropriate mixture of uniconazole and pendimethalin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sweetpotato or cotton whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) transmits the Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus [potato], and is, therefore, a major concern for quality seed potato production in India. The population dynamics of whitefly was studied for four seasons (2016–2020) in the Jalandhar region of Punjab (India). The whitefly adults appeared on the crop immediately after emergence and peaked (1.5–2.5 per plant) in the first week of November. The adults were found on the crops for 85.58 ± 4.95 days. The average daily temperature emerged as the strongest predictor for population fluctuation of adult whiteflies on potato plants. The native contribution to the whitefly population was negligible as nil or very few pupal exuviae were found on the potato plants. The trap catch was highest in the first 2–3 weeks after crop emergence (15–47 per trap) and decreased abruptly afterward and for the remainder of the sampling dates, very few whiteflies were trapped. The first 2–3 weeks represent the phase when maximum immigration of adults occurs in to the potato crops. The flight activity of the adults continued until the maximum daily temperature did not fall below 13 °C. The information on the pattern of flight activity and population fluctuation will help manage the whitefly virus complex more efficiently for the production of quality seed potatoes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution and frequency of potato leaf roll virus in the four most important potato growing regions in Serbia were studied during the seven years (2012–18). One hundred randomly collected potato tubers were sampled from each seed lot. The young leaves that developed in three weeks were sampled and tested to record infection rate. The presence of potato leaf roll virus was detected by double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and disease incidence was calculated using standard formula. The obtained result showed that the highest prevalence of potato leaf roll virus was detected from seed potato samples originated from the Raški region during 2018 (20.7%), while in the Moravički region, only 2.3–11.1% of the potato leaf roll virus was detected every year. The average annual potato leaf roll virus infection was the highest in 2012 (8.4%) and 2018 (8.0%). For further confirmation of potato leaf roll virus infection, reverse transcription (RT)-PCR was performed using specific primers PLRVCPvEcoRI /PLRVCPcNcoI, designed to amplify a 650 bp fragment of the full-length coat protein gene. The PCR products derived from 26 isolates were directly sequenced using the same primer pair as in RT-PCR. The coat protein sequence analysis revealed that the Serbian potato leaf roll virus isolates showed very low nucleotide diversity (95.9–100%). They shared the highest nt identities of 98.08–99.36% with the sequences of potato leaf roll virus isolates deposited in the GenBank from other parts of the world. Phylogenetic analysis and the haplotype network of the coat protein gene sequences showed that the Serbian potato leaf roll virus isolates could be classified in two different groups indicating two possible introductions of the virus to Serbia. The results of this study confirmed the importance of potato leaf roll virus in seed potato production in Serbia. Additionally, this research highlights the need for a continuous monitoring of the potato seeds produced in Serbia as well as imported seeds for the presence of potato leaf roll virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-availability of disease-free quality seed material is the most important factor affecting low productivity of potato in India. Successive cropping of disease free minitubers under net house conditions, in the north western plains of India, can be an important intervention for utilizing this expensive vector free space and prevailing potato growing climate of the region in the most sustainable way. A field study was undertaken during 2016-18 to evaluate this hypothesis for its productivity and economics over single crop conventionally taken in the region. Minitubers of six potato varieties were grown in single and successive cropping patters under net house in the region. The summed yield attributes of their early (DCE) and late planted (DCL) successive crops were compared to single cropping (SC) on per meter square basis. Corresponding observations on morphological traits and yield attributes were quite encouraging. Minituber yield of under size, seed size and combined was 1.99, 1.88 and 1.98 times higher in double crop as compared to conventional single crop. As a result, cost of production declined (2.52 times) and net profit increased (3.15 times) in double crop. Cost of production per tuber was reduced in this technique from ₹ 2.01-1.28 per minituber. Higher profits and productivity under successive planting are achievable and this innovative technology can be easily adopted by the stakeholders for improving multiplication of early generation planting material, which would translate into availability of increased seed material after stipulated multiplications.

Mini tubers are the starting materials of a disease-free seed potato production scheme. Low multiplication rates as well as non-homogenous tuber size distribution are considered the main constraints of a conventional mini tuber production system. In recent years, an aeroponics production system has been developed to overcome the aforementioned problems. It has previously been observed that this system allows multiple harvests with an average yield of 20–50 mini tubers per plant. Several factors, such as cultivar, planting density, nutrient composition of the mist solution, spraying interval and duration and lighting also affect both tuber number and tuber size. However, less attention has been paid to the association of these factors with the aeroponics system. This paper highlights the importance of planting density effect on conventional and aeroponics system. The mini tuber production performances of three potato cultivars (Hermes, Marabel and Sante) were compared at four different planting densities (25, 50, 100 and 200 plants/m2) under both conventional and aeroponics systems in two production cycles. The number of tubers per plant increased with decreasing planting density, being highest at 25 plants/m2 and lowest at 200 plants/m2 for both cycles. Mean tuber number in the aeroponic system was 19.85 tubers per plant at 25 plants/m2 and 13.20 tubers per plant at 200 plants/m2. As the number of tubers per plant decreased, so did their size. As planting density increased, tuber yield per plant both in aeroponics and conventional system decreased, but in general, tuber yield per plant was higher in aeroponics than in the conventional system. In the 1st cycle, the number of tubers per m2 for Hermes, Sante and Marabel was 290, 364 and 334, respectively, in the conventional system and 787, 1021 and 1168, respectively, in the aeroponics system. Similar numbers were recorded in the 2nd cycle. The average tuber weight was higher in the conventional than in the aeroponics system. Tuber yield/m2 in this study varied from 5.9 to 9.3 kg/m2 in the aeroponics system, about twice as high as in the conventional system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Description of the subject. Measures against regulated non-quarantine pests (RNQPs) aim to prevent an unacceptable economic impact on the intended use of plants for planting by pests that are already present in the area. Therefore unlike quarantine pests, the likelihood of introduction of RNQPs is not a relevant criterion. Although the term RNQP was introduced in the FAO International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) in 1997, to date, very few countries in the EPPO region have used the RNQP concept explicitly. However, in December 2016, the European Union introduced RNQPs in EU Regulation 2016/2031 on protective measures against pests of plants, in line with international standards, to be implemented by December 2019. Objectives. EPPO undertook a 2-year project, funded by the European Commission, to develop a methodology to assess whether pests should be RNQPs and apply this methodology to pest/host/intended use combinations obtained from Council Directive 2000/29/EC and EU Marketing Directives on reproductive material. Method. A methodology allowing a quick risk analysis was developed. Results. This methodology was applied to approximately 1,400 pest/host/intended use combinations within different Sector expert working groups, including 44 combinations for the seed potato (i.e. potato plants for planting) sector. When applied to blackleg disease on seed potatoes, experts recommended the listing of the genera Dickeya and Pectobacterium as RNQPs for the EU and the EPPO region. Conclusions. This project has produced a harmonized evaluation process and recommendations by experts for several pest/host/intended use combinations (as Dickeya spp. and Pectobacterium spp. for seed potatoes) for regulation as RNQPs throughout the EPPO region. EPPO is now considering whether to endorse these recommendations.