As the mercury rises across Britain, potato growers have been urged to take particular note of the impact of temperature stress on their crops and its potential to influence performance and eventually the total potential yield.
“With a dry spring and ideal planting conditions, we are in one of the top three seasons for finishing planting,” says Stuart Sutherland, technical manager at Interagro. “However, the cold spring and wet soil conditions slowed growth and some crops have just sat there under stress. We are now at the cusp of whether crops produce above average tuber numbers. With warmer temperatures on the cards there is potential for this which may mean some crops cannot bulk properly,” Mr Sutherland points out.
Heat stress, which slows tuber bulking above 20 °C and inhibits bulking at temperatures above 26 °C, is also a likely threat to crops as we head into the summer. According to Interagro, applying Bridgeway will help crops to recover from abiotic stress now and also protect crops from heat stress, enabling tuber bulking to be maintained and higher yields to achieved compared to untreated crops.
“Bridgeway helps crops to harness more light energy which increases the rate of photosynthesis and starch production,” Stuart adds. “The product protects potato plants against cold and heat stress, and aids in crop recovery from frost and temperature stress as well.”