CHIPPING QUALITY AND YIELD OF 'NORCHIP' POTATOES DAMAGED BY SIMULATED HAIL

ABSTRACT *Norchip' potato plants were subjected to simulated hail damage in a two-factor experimental design. The factors were degree of damage and time of damage in weeks post emergence. Hail was simulated by striking plants with lead spheres tethered to a hand-held rotating shaft. Losses due to simulated hail damage were assessed as quality loss, as measured by pre-harvest sugar concentration and post-harvest chip color, as yield loss, and as specific gravity loss. The experiment was replicated for four years. The results suggest that, in general, hail damage had little influence on chip color but could reduce yield to 64% of control by causing both reduced tuber weight and lower tuber number. Average specific gravity (an important quality attribute of chip potatoes) also fell from 1.096 to 1.085.