Potatoes
Applications of Acadian Plant Health™ (APH™) seaweed extract on potatoes lead to improved tolerance to environmental stresses such as heat and drought, better uptake of key nutrients such as nitrogen and calcium, and enhanced tuber set – all these effects combined result in higher potato yield and longer shelf life.
BENEFITS FOR POTATOES INCLUDE:
- Strong growth during the establishment period
- Improved abiotic stress resistance
- Improved nutrient levels
- Increased tuber size and uniformity
- Increased yield
SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN, FIELD-TESTED SOLUTIONS
IMPROVED HEAT STRESS TOLERANCE
POTATO TRIAL ‘PURPLE FINGERLING’
NORTH CAROLINA, UNITED STATES
Potatoes have a relatively shallow root system, so drought stress can significantly reduce yields. These pictures were taken after the potato plants experienced high temperatures (> 35°C/95°F). Note the curled, stressed leaves in the Control plants while plants treated with APH™ seaweed extract show no signs of stress.
IMPROVED NUTRIENT LEVELS
POTATO TRIAL ‘RUSSET’
WASHINGTON STATE, UNITED STATES
Adequate nitrogen is required for optimum potato yields. This is especially important during tuberization. APH™ seaweed extract improves uptake of nitrogen, as evidenced by increased nitrate levels in the leaves at tuber set. In this trial, at tuber set the nitrate levels in plants treated with APH™ seaweed extract were increased by more than 3,000 ppm.
POTATO TRIAL ‘SUPERIOR’
NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA
Three weeks after early tuber initiation (hooking), the tubers collected from plants treated with APH™ seaweed extract had a higher calcium content than the Control tubers. Higher calcium level in the tubers is desired because it reduces storage problems.
IMPROVED TUBER SIZE
POTATO TRIAL ‘FRITO LAY 2137’
MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES
At harvest, chipping potatoes treated with APH™ seaweed extract had set more evenly and were sized much more uniformly compared to the Control tubers. There were also fewer small potatoes among the treated tubers.
POTATO TRIALS ‘RUSSET’
VARIOUS LOCATIONS
In six out of seven potato trials on Russet potatoes, the ratio of large, more desirable tubers was increased by an average of 6 percentage points.
*Researchers defined large potatoes as larger than 8 oz (227 g) in some trials, and larger than 10 oz (284 g) in others.
INCREASED YIELD
POTATO TRIALS
VARIOUS LOCATIONS
Potato plants treated with APH™ seaweed extract produced more yield in 16 of 18 field trials. The average yield increase in these trials was 6.5 metric tonnes per hectare (58 CWT per acre).