Potato Research

The European Association for Potato Research (EAPR) publishes a journal, Potato Research, which includes original scientific contributions on both fundamental and applied research on potatoes, review articles and topics of general interest. It also contains Association news and reports on section meetings (including abstracts of papers presented).
A volume of the Journal (usually approximately 450 pages), consists of four issues, published in the same year. Submission of manuscripts is exclusively online via a web-based electronic submission and tracking system available at https://www.editorialmanager.com/potr

EAPR Members have online access to Potato Research (use the EAPR member login page)
A list of addresses of editors of ‘Potato Research’
Contents of ‘Potato Research’ can be found at Springerlink
Instructions for authors
Any comments regarding the publication and distribution of Potato Research should be addressed to EAPR

Springer Link

https://link.springer.com/journal/11540

Latest Issues

Stabilising Urea Amine Nitrogen Increases Potato Tuber Yield by Increasing Chlorophyll Content, Reducing Shoot Growth Rate and Increasing Biomass Partitioning to Roots and Tubers
16th December, 2019
Abstract

Much of the nitrogen in crop fertiliser is degraded before acquisition. Technologies that stabilise urea-nitrogen minimise this. Degradation also specifically reduces the amount of ureic amine that many fertilisers initially contain, which is important because this nitrogen form has unique beneficial effects on plants. To investigate mechanisms whereby urea stabilisation increases potato tuber yield, we compare effects of foliar applications of chemically stabilised and non-stabilised urea against industry-standard fertiliser, on the physiology, form and yield of greenhouse-grown Casablanca under identical nitrogen supply. Stabilised urea is tested on Rooster and Shelford yields in Irish and British field trials. Stabilised amine nitrogen (SAN) increases Casablanca leaf relative chlorophyll content and initially reduces shoot growth rate. When harvested shortly after tuber initiation, SAN-treated plants have increased root to shoot weight ratios and we find tight negative correlations between shoot growth rate and root weight: large roots and slow shoot extension occur predominantly in SAN-treated plants. SAN increases ratios between initiation-stage tuber weight and (a) shoot length and (b) shoot growth rate. At a second harvest at mid-bulking, SAN increases high-grade Casablanca tuber yielding. At this later stage, yield correlates positively with shoot weight. In the field, SAN increases Rooster canopy greenness and marketable yields of both Rooster and Shelford. Yield improvements specific to this N form when stabilised are suggested to occur through increased photosynthesis and early-stage increases in root to shoot weight ratio. This phenotype then supports increased bulking-stage shoot growth and shoot-sourced resource for tuber growth. Stabilising urea amine induces high-yielding phenotypes with improved internal nitrogen utilisation efficiencies.
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S. Wale (ed): Achieving Sustainable Cultivation of Potatoes Volume 2: Production, Storage and Crop Protection
30th November, 2019
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Long-term storability of potato tubers in aspect of biochemical changes and overall quality index affected by different packaging materials in refrigerated and non-refrigerated storage
19th November, 2019
Abstract

Long-term storage of tubers in refrigerated and non-refrigerated storage induces sprouting and other degradative quality changes, thus making them unacceptable for consumption. There are already known effects of packaging materials on storability of fresh produce while optimization of package with respect to temperature for shelf life enhancement of tubers is still needed in the case of deficient storage conditions. Therefore, we investigated the combined effect on post-harvest quality parameters of various packaging materials, viz. polypropylene (PP), perforated polypropylene (PP(P)), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), perforated low-density polyethylene (LDPE(P)), brown gunny sacks (BS) and white nylon gunny sacks (WS), in refrigerated storage temperature of 8 °C and non-refrigerated storage temperature of 25 °C. Sprout and spoilage appearance, weight loss, firmness, colour difference, sucrose, reducing sugars, vitamin C, total phenolic content and DPPH-antioxidant activity and overall quality index were evaluated in stored potato tubers. Lower weight loss in LDPE and PP bags was observed along with the higher retention of total phenolics and antioxidant activity of tubers. The presence of perforations resulted in higher firmness of potatoes at both the temperatures. Colour changes were determined by the temperature effects rather than packaging. The study also established some physicochemical quality indicators based on the cut-off points produced from overall quality index evaluated using the sensory attributes of stored potatoes. Overall, PP(P), LDPE(P), BS and WS can be recommended for long-term storage, while PP and LDPE can be used as an option for short-term storage.
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Genetic Diversity of Potato Cultivars for Nitrogen Use Efficiency Under Contrasting Nitrogen Regimes
14th October, 2019
Abstract

Developing cultivars that use nitrogen more efficiently is a sustainable strategy for reducing nitrogen use in crop production. To assess the genetic diversity for nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and related traits in potato, a total of 97 (88 for the Western-European market and 9 Ethiopian) cultivars were evaluated at two nitrogen levels (40 kg/ha and 120 kg/ha) for 24 quantitative traits in Debre-Tabor and Injibara (Ethiopia) in the 2013 main rainy season (June to September). Highly significant variation was found among genotypes for almost all measured traits. Plant height, NUE, tuber yield, and yield-related traits and model parameters for canopy development (maximum canopy covers area under the canopy curve) were significantly affected by N levels across locations. Dutch cultivars had more rapid initial canopy development and matured earlier than the Ethiopian cultivars at both N levels and locations. A hierarchical cluster analysis grouped the cultivars in 9 and 11 genetically distinct classes at low and high N, respectively. The genetic component accounted for a large portion of the phenotypic variation for plant height, tuber number per plant, average tuber weight, and NUE under both N regimes, as indicated by a high heritability. Strong phenotypic correlations were observed between NUE and tuber number per plant, days to maturity, tuber dry matter %, maximum canopy cover, and area under the canopy curve under both low and high N conditions. The result is indicative to set the best parental line selection criteria for crossing purpose and utilize the cultivars for further potato NUE breeding programmes.
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Potential of the Blattisocius mali Mite (Acari: Blattisociidae) as a Biological Control Agent of Potato Tubermoth (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in Stored Potatoes
12th October, 2019
Abstract

Potato tubermoth (PTM) Phthorimaea operculella (Lep.: Gelechiidae) is one of the pest species affecting Solanaceae worldwide. It can cause up to 80% of losses in potato open air crops as well as damage up to 100% of tubers during storage. Blattisocius (= Typhlodromus) mali (Acari: Blattisociidae), a predatory mite, was studied as a potential biological control agent of PTM. A prey acceptance bioassay of PTM eggs was carried out. Additionally, two bioassays have been conducted under microcosm conditions, which assessed the densities of mite releases at two levels of PTM infestation. The results showed that B. mali female adults accept PTM eggs as prey, and they cause a mortality rate 89.63 ± 2.47%, 48 h later. In addition to this, under microcosm conditions with potato tubers, we found at low infestation level that the effectiveness of the predatory mite varied from 72.50 ± 28.50 to 100%, 28 days later, according to the release rate of mites. Under high infestation level, the effectiveness of biological control of the pest varied from 53.36 ± 25.55 to 92.51 ± 7.88%, also according to the release rate of the mites. The possible use of biological control with B. mali of PTM, in different types of potato storage, is analysed and discussed.
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Latest Issues

Stabilising Urea Amine Nitrogen Increases Potato Tuber Yield by Increasing Chlorophyll Content, Reducing Shoot Growth Rate and Increasing Biomass Partitioning to Roots and Tubers

Abstract

S. Wale (ed): Achieving Sustainable Cultivation of Potatoes Volume 2: Production, Storage and Crop Protection

Long-term storability of potato tubers in aspect of biochemical changes and overall quality index affected by different packaging materials in refrigerated and non-refrigerated storage

Abstract

Genetic Diversity of Potato Cultivars for Nitrogen Use Efficiency Under Contrasting Nitrogen Regimes

Abstract

Potential of the Blattisocius mali Mite (Acari: Blattisociidae) as a Biological Control Agent of Potato Tubermoth (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in Stored Potatoes

Abstract

EAPR Sustaining Members