The effect of some environmental factors on potato tuber numbers

Five experiments studied the effects of shading, temperature and stolon growth medium on stolon and tuber formation. The lowest numbers of stolons and tubers were produced at the higher and lower nodes. Numbers of primary stolons and tubers were relatively stable across nodes and treatments and variation in total numbers was largely due to changes in numbers of lateral and branch stolons. In the field, 70% shading reduced numbers of stolons and tubers by reducing lateral and branch stolons, while in hydroponics, 45% shading and temperatures at initiation had no effect on tuber numbers. In both environments later planting tended to reduce numbers of stolons and tubers. There were large effects of the physical environment, with compost producing three times as many tubers as dry vermiculite. The potential number of tubers may be determined by the number of stolons and the environmental conditions affecting stolon formation and development.