Name
Effects of Environmental Heat Stress on Potato Physiological Aging
Date & Time
Tuesday, July 19, 2022, 3:15 PM - 5:15 PM
Description

Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) are a temperate, heat sensitive crop that are particularly threatened by increased stress from abiotic factors such as heat. Both global and regional heat events are predicted to increase in intensity and frequency, causing significant decreases in potato production worldwide by the end of the century. The future of potato production is dependent on understanding the implications of heat stress on potato physiology and on the potato industry’s ability to adapt grower practices to the changing environment. Heat has been demonstrated to play a critical role in physiological aging (PAGE) of potato tubers with alterations in PAGE resulting in measurable phenotypic responses such as stem count, size, and yield that directly impact the quality of the crop and subsequent grower returns. Each season’s expected spring warming patterns provide a window of opportunity for improved practices and crop performance across cultivars of varying maturity indices. Altered planting times have the potential for practical responses to heat stress by understanding it’s modification of heat unit accumulation rate and intensity, oxidative stress, respiration rate, and the tuber size and yield distribution. Preliminary findings from the 2021 season show evidence that delayed planting times contribute to the PAGE of tubers through increased basal respiration rates. Similar changes have been demonstrated to impact the subsequent year’s crop performance by altering the expected phenotype and associated grower returns. Continued understanding of heat stress as it relates to PAGE and planting timing may provide growers with an opportunity to maximize returns and minimize waste while potentially increasing food security both domestically and internationally.

Session Type
Poster
Parent Session
Posters