The influence of agricultural techniques on the seed productivity of early potato varieties in specific soil and climatic conditions of the Smolensk region
The objects of research were three varieties of potatoes of the super-elite class Snegir, Zhukovsky early and Dolphin. On the basis of the conducted studies, it was found that on average for three years, the number of main stems on potatoes was greater with a planting scheme of 70x25 cm on all the studied varieties. The most productive variety was Zhukovsky early - up to 4.0 pcs./bush. Visual assessment of plants for viral infection during the growing season showed that viral diseases were observed in both mild and severe forms. Plant diseases increased at the third term of removal of the tops and the planting pattern of 70x35 cm on all the studied potato varieties. The increase in both the total yield and the yield of tubers of the seed fraction in all the studied varieties was influenced by the planting scheme. The maximum size of the potato yield reached with a standing density of 57.1 thousand pieces/ha (70x25 cm). In the Snegir and Dolphin varieties, the yield of tubers of the seed fraction was the highest in the variant with the second term of removal of the tops and amounted to 7.1 and 15.1 t/ha, respectively, in the Zhukovsky early variety - with the third term of removal of the tops (12.9 t/ha). The conducted post-harvest tuberous analysis of potatoes did not show a clear dependence of the damage of tubers by diseases on the planting schemes and the timing of removal of the tops.