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For earlier potato yield formation we used pre-sprouting and thermal treatment
which both add to the physiological age of potato. At the same time, pre-sprouting
is a very time- and energy-consuming procedure. We investigated if thermal treatment
could replace pre-sprouting and how it affects the growth and development of potato
haulms and tubers. For that purpose an experiment was conducted in 2000-2002 to
examine the opportunities for growing potatoes by using different methods of pre-planting
treatment of seed tubers.
Early, middle and late maturing potato varieties (two Estonian varieties and one
Latvian) were used, each being subdivided into three variant categories: untreated,
thermal shock and pre-sprouting.
The experiment indicated that one or the other of thermal shock or pre-sprouting
shortened the time to emergence by up to 10 days. With pre-sprouting, the formation
of tubers started as soon as 45 days after planting and with thermal shock 50
days after planting, i.e., 5-10 days earlier than in the untreated variant.
Thermal shock of seed tubers had the greatest effect on the number of tubers per
plant, while pre-sprouting increased the average weight of tubers.
Both pre-sprouting and thermal shock had a strong effect on the weight of the
haulms in varieties with a longer growth period.
