Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1119865
WWW.POTATOGROWER.COM 27 When you put your hard earned money down for a new potato trailer, why not put it down on one that will work as hard as you? Western potato trailers deliver on average 2000lbs more that the competition. Couple that with the highest resale values in the industry and you can't go wrong. Learn more at www.westerntrailer.com or call 888.344.2539 Building the best and making it better…your way! 2354-30WesternTrailers1/2h.indd 1 1/2/19 9:50 AM fertilizer and blackspot bruise susceptibility. When potassium is deficient in the plant, tubers produce more tyrosine—the compound that is oxidized into melanin, the black pigment seen when bruised tubers are peeled. Many growers have upped their potassium fertilizer programs in an attempt to optimize yield, but also to reduce bruise susceptibility. The problem is that when soil potassium concentrations are adequate for yield, additional fertilizer applications do not further reduce bruise susceptibility. However, excessive potassium fertilizer has been shown in some studies to reduce net development, so over-fertilizing can have negative impacts on tuber quality. CalCIum Most of the work on the relationship between calcium and bruise susceptibility comes from central Wisconsin, where potatoes are grown in very sandy soils with low calcium content. In that region, bruise susceptibility tends to be lowest in all varieties when tuber calcium concentration is above 200 to 250 micrograms per kilogram dry weight. However, it is important to note that high calcium content did not eliminate bruise; it only reduced the level. It is not known if low tuber calcium level plays much of a role in bruise susceptibility on heavier textured soils common in other potato-growing regions like southern Idaho. Fertility can influence bruise susceptibility, and coordinating fertilization regimes with yield goals and quality is necessary for any potato crop. Regardless of fertility, it takes some kind of impact force to cause blackspot and shatter bruises. The biggest factor in mitigating the risk of bruise is minimizing points of impact. Mike Thornton is a professor of plant sciences and chair of the University of Idaho's Parma Research & Extension Center. Nora Olsen is a professor and extension potato specialist based out of the University of Idaho's Kimberly Research & Extension Center. An imbalance in soil nutrients can lead to problems with crop maturity, poor skin development and problems with skinning at harvest.