The mechanisms driving potato crop yield and grade distribution

Under ideal growing conditions (e. g. optimal moisture, temperature, mineral nutrition and disease control) potato dry matter (DM) yield increases with the amount of intercepted photosynthetic active radiation (PARi). However yield is limited by the leaf's ability to convert the PARi into carbohydrates (RUE). Another factor that limits yields is the storage capacity of the tubers (sink). Sink size and the size distribution of the final yield is influenced by the number of tubers per plant and the potential growth of individual tubers. These are influenced by plant density, number of stems, the number of stolons produced in the belowground stems and the induction of tuber initiation (TI). The present work investigates the mechanisms driving potato crop yield and grade distribution among three commercial cultivars (‘Bondi’, ‘Fraser’ and ‘Russet Burbank’)