Potato Grower

WWW.POTATOGROWER.COM 25 Rite Yield The RiteYield system adds convenience and accuracy by automatically collecting data for all the various fields, varieties and test plots. • Measures yields once per second • Fits most harvesters • Optional Tilt Sensor for greater accuracy • GPS receiver connectivity • Stand-Alone or optional integration with JD2630 or Trimble • Map yields and $$$$ to visualize variability and profit margins. No One Tracks Root Crop Yields Like We Do Our technology will make your farm equipment more intelligent and accurate than ever before. For more information visit greentronics.com or contact us at 519-669-4698 As a leader in precision agriculture systems we off er unique solutions specifi cally designed with the root and vegetable producer in mind. 1957-10Greentronics12h.indd 1 5/14/18 9:41 AM levels? Part of the answer is targeting the tuber zone. "Don't apply it to foliage and expect it to get to tubers," says Marks. "For best results, calcium fertilizer must be placed near the stolon roots inside the tuber zone. Use calcium in an available form, and don't confuse it with liming agents. It's easy to think calcium status will be improved where liming agents are used to adjust pH, where in reality, they supply very little." (The calcium in lime is only 1 in 10,000 available). "Time applications to when tubers can absorb it," Marks continues. "Tubers produce very little auxin once they start growing, so to get conventional calcium sources into a tuber it really needs to be done during the cell division stage. Once tubers reach 5 millimeters in size, there's very little new cell formation, and auxin levels decline. For calcium to be able to get in the tuber, it needs to be available between hook eye and 5-millimeter tuber size." Finally, he advises growers who use more advanced calcium products that have been shown in field trials shown to raise in-tuber calcium levels. One such technology is LoCal, marketed in the U.S. as Cell Power Calcium Gold and Cell Power Calcium Platinum. Developed by scientists at Levity, it stimulates calcium transport into low-auxin tissue. "Levity has done a lot of research on fruit crops like apples, and we have had consistently good results correcting the physiological disorder bitter pit using low rates at the right timings," says Marks. "We have shown that 100 fluid ounces of a product that the fruit can absorb is far more effective than 31 gallons of standard calcium." So, what does that mean for potato growers? "To get calcium into tubers, we need to hit the tuber zone," says Marks. "Our approach is to use a product that combines calcium with LoCal soil-applied at tuber initiation through bulking. This approach puts calcium in the right place in the right form, and unlocks the ability of the tubers to absorb it, where they would otherwise be unable to."

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