Efficiency of early planting of new potato varieties

The purpose of the study: to study the reaction of new potato varieties of different maturation periods of the selection of the Russian Potato Research Centre on the timing of planting tubers to accelerate the growth, development of plants and the formation of a sufficiently significant yield level before the onset of adverse meteorological conditions (heat, drought) and the development of late blight on plantings according to a complex of economically valuable signs. The experiments were carried out at the experimental base «Korenevo» (Moscow region) in 2021–2022 on sod-podzolic sandy loam soil with the following agrochemical indicators: humus content – 1.9%, mobile phosphorus – 274 mg/kg of soil, exchangeable potassium – 129 mg/kg of soil. In a one-factor experiment, two planting dates of tubers were studied according to two options: 1. Early – III decade of April at soil temperature > 5 °C; 2. Basic (control) – 7–10 days after the first term. Mineral fertilizers (azofoska with the addition of kalimagnesia) in a dose of N90P90K135 were applied when cutting the ridges with a KRN-4,2 cultivator with tow-raising devices locally with two ribbons in mid-April. Tubers weighing 50–80 g were planted on April 27 (early), when the soil warmed up >5 °C and on May 5 (control) with a CH-4B-K planter to a depth of 8–10 cm. The planting density is 44 thousand tubers/ha according to the 75×30 scheme. The repetition in the experiment is threefold, the area of the plot is 30 m2. Care of plantings is generally accepted in the zone. Phenological observations, determination of biometric parameters of plants and tubers quality indicators were carried out according to generally accepted methods. It was determined that early planting of tubers (the third decade of April at a soil temperature of at least 5 °C) with a density of 44 thousand tubers/ha against the background of local fertilization at a dose of N90P90K135 provides the formation of a significant increase in yield in the amount of 1.2–1.8 t/ha with a conditional income of up to 32.2 thousand p/ha when growing on sod-podzolic sandy loam soil.

Key words: variety, planting period, biometric indicators, yield, quality indicators, conditional income