Improvement of potato cultivation technology elements in production conditions

Abstract

The results of improving potato cultivation technology by increasing the efficiency of plant protection system in the conditions of production experience are presented. The study was conducted in 2021–2023 on the lands of the OOO "Druzhba-2" (Bryansk region, Zhiryatinsky district). Two potato varieties of the first reproduction, Red Scarlett (Netherlands) and Gala (Germany), were the object of the study. The experiment scheme included two variants: 1) traditional potato protection system adopted in the farm (control); 2) improved protection system. Both protection systems are aimed at the prevention of pests (Colorado potato beetle, snap beetle larvae), weeds (cleavers, black nightshade, purple deadnettle, lamb's quarters, wild camomile, annual bluegrass, wind bent grass) and diseases (early blight, late blight, silver scurf, rhizoctoniose, various types of rots, pythium). Soils of the sites are sod-podzolic. The forecrop is winter rapeseed. The total area of the production experiment was 120 ha (60 ha under each variety). Potatoes were grown under intensive technology with conventional tillage system on a 75 × 28 cm pattern. Planting rate is 50 thousand tubers per 1 ha. The technology is designed to obtain tuber yields of 40–60 t/ha. Experimentally it has been established that the application of the improved technology with the use of a new plant protection system for the farm contributes to an increase in plant stand density and their safety at the time of harvesting by 2.5–3.0%, increase in the number of tubers from one plant by 7.5–10.0%, average weight of one tuber – by 7–11%, weight of tubers from one plant – by 14.5–23.0%, yield – by 17–26%, marketability – by 12.5–14.5%, marketable yield – by 32–45%, conditional net income – by 16.2–24.5%.