b'ROUNDTABLE Tips for Growing the Best Spud CropWhat to keep in mind during the growing season as you plant and care for your potato crop. BY: ASHLEY ROBINSONDAVE BELL Editors note: This interview has been editedput the increase in (verticillium) pressure? for length and clarity. And as far as what weve seen, with the owner of Bell Crop Services Inc. Dakota Russet there was no difference Spud Smart (SS): What shouldand final yield. So, you could plant earlier, growers consider when picking aharvest earlier, not have a difference in planting date for potatoes? yield, but potentially have lower amounts Jed Grow (JG):It appears that seed tubers,of verticillium because at some point in this JED GROW for the most part, when theyre planted inseason, youre not going to be putting on any colder soilstheres been a lot of studies more yield comparatively to the amount of North Dakota Statethey emerge more slowly. And so, you alwaysdisease that youre increasing in your steps. University PhD graduate student want to plant in warmer soils. But thoseNow these results vary drastically warmer soils are also most likely beneficialbetween fumigated and non-fumigated for those diseases, they like to grow in thosefields. Similar results, but just wider warm, moist environments.margins. So, with increased amount of Overall planting date can affect adisease pressure, you saw increase yield loss, lot when it comes to the potato crop,and potential for the differences when you (including) the number and size of thetalk about that later planning.tubers. This comes down to the staging of the crop. When is that tuber initiation goingSS: What should growers keep to start? Is it going to be hot? Is it going toin mind regarding in-season be cold for your soil temperature? You cantnutrition?plant below a certain temperature as you riskDave Bell (DB):Early season fertility, of damaging the seed. course always monitoring foliar nutrient You might want to consider that thelevelswith most nutrients, youre going length of your growing season. Youve gotto be in pretty good shape at the beginning a 90-day (window for) red (potatoes, so)of the season. But theres specific nutrients youre going to worry a lot less about gettingthat youre going to be adding early on. One that in the ground compared to 120, 110example being magnesium to help push Russet. And really, that heat stress and soilthose plants to close the rows as quickly as moisture level, you want to consider, if whatpossible. Deploying the solar panels and am I planning into is too wet? I need to waitcollect all the possible energy available, a little bit. All these come in to play. build the factory and then let the factory build the crop.SS: How does planting date affectThrough bulking and maturing, potato growth? monitoring of foliar nutrient levels is JG:If you are delaying planting, you mightgoing to get more and more important as have higher forms of verticillium, whichnutrients begin to be pulled down. The main means you could plant in those coolerexample being nitrogen. Utilize local critical soils and accrue less verticillium. And thisnutrient level requirements for the variety could do a lot with the secretion of the rootsand intended use for seed, processing, table ROUNDTABLE SUPPORTED BY: and the activation of those resting spore they will be different. Add additional structures, a number of things were tryingnutrition as needed as the plants begin to use to look at.up the available (nutrients).But there is a potential yield loss then when you consider the planting date. So,SS: Should growers be using if I wait later, is my decreased yield whenspore monitoring devices on their it comes to Russet Burbank going to offown farms, or should they follow 34SPUDSMART.COMSummer 2023'