Impact of source and timing of calcium and nitrogen applications on 'Atlantic' potato tuber calcium concentrations and internal quality

Three Ca sources and two application schedules were compared for their effe ctiveness for increasing tissue Ca concentrations in 170 to 284 g field-gro wn tubers of 'Atlantic' potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). Additional observati ons were made of internal physiological defects, Paired measures of tissue (periderm and nonperiderm) Ca concentration and internal quality (+/- hollo w heart, +/- internal brown spot) were made on individual tubers produced i n plots fertilized with N at 224 kg.ha(-1) and Ca at either 0 or 168 kg.ha( -1), supplied from either gypsum, calcium nitrate or NHIB (9N-0P-0K-11Ca, a commercial formulation of urea and CaCl2). Application of N and Ca at emer gence and hilling (nonsplit) was compared to application at emergence, hill ing, and 4 and 8 weeks after hilling (split), Tuber yield and grade were un affected by treatments, Split Ca application (from either calcium nitrate o r NHIB) increased mean tuber nonperiderm tissue Ca concentrations and the p ercentage of tubers with an elevated Ca concentration in both years compare d with non-Ca-supplemented controls. Split Ca application also resulted in greater increases in Ca in nonperiderm tissue than nonsplit Ca application in 1994, Although the correlation coefficient between Ca level in periderm and nonperiderm tissue of >400 individual tubers was highly significant in both study years, linear regression analyses suggested the Ca level in the two tissues were poorly related, Split application was associated with a 37 % reduction In the incidence of internal tuber defects, relative to nonspli t application in 1994, Calcium application did not affect tuber internal qu ality based on means analysis, but chi-square analysis suggested that Ca co ncentration and internal quality of individual tubers may be related. The i ncidence of internal defects was 16.4% in tubers with nonperiderm tissue Ca less than or equal to 100 mu g.g(-1) dry weight compared to 10.6% in tuber s with nonperiderm tissue Ca >100 mu g.g(-1) dry weight. These data suggest that 1) it is feasible to increase tuber Ca levels by field applications o f moderate amounts of Ca, 2) tuber quality is impacted by N and Ca applicat ion schedule, and 3) Ca concentrations in tuber periderm and nonperiderm ti ssues may be controlled independently.