Evaluation of Hail Simulated Damage on Marketable Tuber Yield of Potato Agria Cultivar in Ardabil Region

Subject Areas : Journal of Crop Ecophysiology

D.  Hassanpanah ¹ (Assistant Prif., Ardabil Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center, Ardabil, Iran)
H.  Hassanabadi ² (Scientific Member of Seed and Plant Institute Improvement, Karaj, Iran)

Received: 2012-01-07 Accepted : 2012-05-09 Published : 2012-06-21

Keywords: Regression, yield, Potato, Damage,

Abstract :

This study was conducted at Ardabil Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Station during the year of 2010. A factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design with four replications and two factors were used to evaluate the effect of simulated hail damage to foliage at different growth stages of potato Agria cultivar on marketable tuber yield. The first factor consisted of six levels of foliar damage (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 percent) and the second factor of five levels of plant growth stages (2, 5, 8, 11 and 15 weeks after the growing). Analysis of variance showed that there were significant differences among plants for levels and times of hail damage and their interactions in terms of marketable tuber yield. Percentage of marketable yield reduction at early stages of vegetative growth (2 weeks after growing) was minimal. Occurrence of hail damage at the tuberization and bulking stages (5, 8 and 11 weeks after growing) severely reduced marketable tuber yield. While, its damage at late growing stages of (14 weeks after growing) on tuber yield was not appreciable. Times of hail damage on marketable tuber yield reduction was calculated through the regression. Relative reduction of marketable tuber yield at the early stages of vegetative growth, due to hail damage, against non-marketable tuber yield was higher than of bulking stage.