Potato Grower

WWW.POTATOGROWER.COM 33 Potato plants are highly sensitive to over- and under-irrigation. Small deviations in water availability can decrease yields. Choose Nelson products for maximum uniformity of water application. nelsonirrigation.com — 1.509.525.7660 Pivot Point Control Valves: Air Control, 800 & 1000 Series Pivot Sprinklers & Regulators: R3030 Rotator ® with Brown Plate End of Pivot Solutions: R55VT, SR100 Big Gun ® & 800P Ask your Nelson dealer about the Big Gun ® rebuild program. between 1½ and 2½ inches. But if growers omit that early application and apply SAN at bulking stage, they'll see an increase in the percentage of larger tubers in the 2½- to 3¼-inch category. "This shift in yield content does not come at the price of a smaller yield number or weight," says Williams. "Yield is increased over and above that attained using standard agricultural practice." CELL POWER SLYCE The same expectation to get more from less forms part of the inspiration behind the recently introduced Cell Power Slyce, while also promising to help growers protect crops from ex- treme weather patterns. Slyce is a liquid formulation, con- taining calcium nitrate and humic acid. Offering increased soil-available fertil- ity and rapid nutrient release, it boosts crops' defense against stress and disease. In trials, it provided the most efficient calcium delivery — crucial for plant structure above and below ground — against any other standard source. "Slyce works on the plant and in the soil," Williams says. "Applied after granular fertilizers such as DAP, MAP or KCl, it allows faster and more efficient release of their components. "Increasing soil's organic matter," Williams continues, "Slyce enhances nutrient, water-holding and aeration capacities, while helping to regulate soil pH, allowing beneficial fungi to thrive. Slyce also promotes chlorophyll development and mobilizes potassi- um — essential in respiratory function — to boost crop resilience against hot weather and drought stress." CELL POWER DAMU Potato growers know how a good yield relies on a precise balance be- tween top growth and tuber develop- ment. And vegetative growth demands nitrogen. But as nitrate levels increase, so too do levels of the hormone auxin, leading to increased top growth at the expense of tuber development. But the more nitrogen a plant ab- sorbs, the more deficient it becomes in boron. So a vicious circle begins: Plants deficient in boron make even higher levels of auxin. To address this, growers need to in- crease leaf boron status, which in turn increases the levels of cytokinins and gibberellins, which gives greater focus to root and tuber development. How- ever, timing and quantity must be just right; boron has a fine line between deficiency and toxicity. "This is where Damu comes into play," says Konieczka. "It's a high- efficiency product that allows lower rates of boron to be more effective. It employs stimulants to increase the speed of uptake, as well as the pace of metabolism within the plant." Used during periods of excess vege- tative growth, Damu can reduce auxin production and refocus on the crop on root growth. "Used at a low rate during the bulk- ing period, Damu will help growers maintain proper tuber development during periods of rapid growth," Konieczka says. "They can also use it at a higher rate ahead of harvest to bulk tubers more quickly."

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