Effects of Tuber Size on Field Growth and Yield of 'Dejima' Potatoes Produced through Wick-based Hydroponics

ABSTRACT Two field experiments were carried out in 2002 to evaluate effects of the sizes of tubers produced through a wick-based hydroponics on growth and yield of seed potatoes ( Solanum tuberosum L. 'Dejima'). Nine sizes of seed tubers (<1, 1~3, 3~5, 5~7, 7~10, 10~20, 20~30, 30~50, and 50~80 g) were used in spring crop. In fall crop, however, tubers except for the 1 g and 50~80 g wereused with tubers 7 and 15 g produced through aeroponics. Emergence rate greatly increased as tuber size was increased up to 10~20 g and then leveled off in both croppings. The number of days from planting to emergence in spring crop was about 34 days regardless of tuber size, while that in fall crop decreased from 34 to 16 days as tuber size increased from 1~3 to 30~50 g. The number of stems per plant, stem length and diameter, and leaf size tended to increase with tuber size. As the seed tuber size increased up to 10~20 g, the number of tubers per plant, average tuber weight, total and seed tuber yields linearly increased and then slowly increased with seed tuber size. Total and seed potato yields were not significantly different between tubers produced through a wick-based hydroponics and an aeroponics when similar sized tubers were planted in the fall cropping.