Volume 10
Issue 1
Agronomy
JOURNAL OF
POLISH
AGRICULTURAL
UNIVERSITIES
Available Online: http://www.ejpau.media.pl/volume10/issue1/abs-02.html
VARIABILITY OF POTATO YIELD AND ITS STRUCTURE IN ORGANIC AND INTEGRATED CROP PRODUCTION SYSTEMS
Barbara Sawicka1, Piotr Barba¶2, Jan Ku¶3
1 Department of Plant Production,
Agricultural University of Lublin, Poland
2 Jadwisin Department of Potato Agronomy,
Institute of Plant Breeding and Acclimatization, Radzikow, Poland
3 Department of Systems and Economics of Crop Production,
Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation, Puławy, Poland
ABSTRACT
The study was based on a field experiment carried out over 2000-2002 at the Osiny Experiment Station of Puławy Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation (IUNG) on a good rye soil suitability complex. The aim of the study was to estimate the variability of tuber yield and its structure of 5 selected potato cultivars (Baszta, Wolfram, Ania, Salto, Wawrzyn) in integrated and organic production systems. In each system different crop rotations and agronomic technologies were used. In the integrated system (potato
spring barley faba bean winter wheat + white mustard as a catch crop) nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilization balancing the intake was applied at an amount of 110 kg N, 60 kg P and 60 kg K per ha. Compost in a dose of 35 t·ha-1 was applied only once in the rotation – under potato. Chemical plant protection measures were applied using agrophage infestation threshold. In the organic system (potato spring barley clover with grass utilized for 2 years winter wheat + white mustard and spring vetch as a catch crop) no mineral fertilizers and pesticides were used except for Novodor and Permasect preparations against Colorado potato beetle. Only 2-year old compost (straw + red clover + addition of stable manure) at an amount of 35 t·ha-1 was applied under potato. Weed control in this system involved harrowing with a weeding harrow till emergence, 3-fold hilling and a single manual weeding shortly before the last hilling. Cultivation systems had the strongest effect on the share of commercial tubers and tubers of a diameter of 4-6 cm in the total yield, cultivar features – on the share of commercial tubers in the yield, and habitat conditions – on the total tuber yield. The stable cultivars proved to be as follows: Wawrzyn – in respect of total yield, Salto – regarding the share of commercial tubers in the total yield, Ania – in terms of the share of the smallest tubers in the total yield and the commercial yield.
Key words: potato, crop production systems, cultivars, yield and its structure.
Barbara Sawicka
Department of Plant Production,
Agricultural University of Lublin, Poland
Akademicka 15, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
email: barbara.sawicka@ar.lublin.pl
Piotr Barba¶
Jadwisin Department of Potato Agronomy,
Institute of Plant Breeding and Acclimatization, Radzikow, Poland
email: p.barbas@ihar.edu.pl
Jan Ku¶
Department of Systems and Economics of Crop Production,
Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation, Puławy, Poland
Czartoryskich 8, 24-100 Puławy, Poland
email: jankus@iung.pulawy.pl
Responses to this article, comments are invited and should be submitted within three months of the publication of the article. If accepted for publication, they will be published in the chapter headed 'Discussions' and hyperlinked to the article.