b'Thats good news for growers in those regions, since thetemperatures and water stress, prior to placing any potatoes into tuberization process can be inhibited by severe heat and belowstorage. If rot is detected, he says its recommended growers normal precipitation and can prevent tubers from sizing upincrease airflow in their storage units to dry up any at-risk tubers properly, Banks explains. The more normal growing conditionsand eliminate free moisture in the pile.also mean that potato plants are less susceptible to diseases like Black Dot or Verticillium. Heat or drought stress makes cropsLooking Aheadmore prone to those diseases, she adds. With declining rainfall totals and rising temperatures across the country, what impact might this have on potato production in the Harvest Time coming years? While its too early to say with any certainty, its With harvest about to begin or already in full swing in most partsleading some to reexamine how they go about their business.of the country, Banks says its important growers be aware of soilVanderZaag said he and many growers he knows have already conditions and temperature before they start harvesting. One ofstarted looking at different varieties of potatoes that are better the most important considerations, she says, is to harvest whensuited to grow in those conditions.the daytime temperatures are not too warm. She recommendsOh, absolutely, he says. Were getting smarter about harvesting when temperatures are 25 C or lower so that pulpeliminating varieties that are susceptible to these malformations temperatures are between 11 C and 18 C when they go intoof tubers and those that have a better roots system and better storage. This greatly reduces the risk of the tubers developingcontrol of water loss through the somata during drought stress.soft rot or Pythium leak. If rainfall totals continue to trend downward and Peter VanderZaag, who co-owns Sunrise Potato near Alliston,temperatures continue to climb, potato producers may be Ont. with his daughter Ruth and son-in-law Nick Ploeg,forced to reconsider some current agronomic practices, Bisht recommends growers conduct sucrose testing prior to harvesting.warns. He says some growers have already started adopting He says if sucrose levels are too high prior to top killing, growersnew techniques, such as narrowing spacing between rows, can still store the potatoes, but they wont make for a goodfrom the traditional 36-inch spacing to 34 or even 32 inches. finished processed product. This helps plants to cover hills much quicker and reduce the We always do sucrose testing in the middle of August to seeamount of heat those hills must absorb.how the tubers are doing biochemically. Based on that we decideThe agronomy is going to have to change, he said. That is when to top kill, he explains. something the growers can manage. Everything else depends Barrett recommends growers be especially vigilant for signson nature. of dark or jelly end rot, which typically develops because of high 16SPUDSMART.COM Fall 2021'