RECORD YIELD OF POTATOES

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27896, 18 February 1956, Page 2

RECORD YIELD OF POTATOES

LINCOLN HYBRID VARIETY “The Press” Special Service PALMERSTON NORTH, February 17. The highest potato yield ever recorded in the world has been dug on the experimental farm at the grassland division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. The potatoes were from one of 17 hybrid varieties bred by Mr M. Driver at the crop research division, Lincoln. The yield was the equivalent of 40 tons an acre. This spectacular figure might be substantially exceeded when further digging is done in a few weeks time because the potatoes concerned were still in the actively growing stage. If harvested fully mature, they should have yielded at a rate of several tons more to the acre. The world’s record potato crop was 35 tons an acre achieved some years ago on four acres in Donegal, Ireland, in perfect conditions. The top yielding strain in the test at the grasslands division was not the only nno which produced high figures. The lowest of the 17 hybrids produced the equivalent of 16 tons an acre, although affected by blight, and the average over all the 17 was over 20 tons, with some reaching 35 tons and more. An average potato crop in the Manawatu is about eight to ten tons an acre. Even more significant than their heavy yields was the obvious blight resistance of most of the new strains. As a cheek on the hybrids, short rows of the commercial variety Ham Hardy were planted at intervals throughout the test area. Although these an done or two blight-susceptible types among the new varieties were thoroughly stricken by blight, most of Mr Driver’s hybrids were still clear of infection although their tops were in contact with those of blighted plants. U