Buckley Connor L, Gonzalez-Tapia Fransico, Navarre Duroy A, Blauer Jacob M
Potato Physiology Laboratory, Department of Horticulture, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA.
USDA-ARS Forage Seed and Cereal Research Unit, Prosser, WA 99350, USA.
Plants (Basel). 2025 Sep 5;14(17):2780. doi: 10.3390/plants14172780.
Periderm development in potato ( L.) is critical for protecting tubers from biotic and abiotic stress, yet the relationship between periderm maturation, canopy development, and tuber growth during the active growing season remains poorly understood. We hypothesized that cultivar-specific differences in canopy growth and biomass partitioning would influence the timing and extent of periderm structural development and tuber growth in field conditions. This study aimed to fill this gap by examining how periderm maturation aligns with canopy development and tuber growth in field conditions.
Three commercial cultivars: Alturas, Clearwater Russet, and Russet Burbank, were evaluated in replicated field trials. Canopy biomass, tuber yield, and total biomass were measured at multiple stages, while periderm anatomy was assessed using histological imaging, and strength was quantified through shear force resistance from tuber initiation to vine kill.
Alturas exhibited the highest canopy biomass, tuber yield, and periderm strength. Phellem structure, measured by cell layer number and thickness, stabilized by approximately 100 days after planting, yet shear strength continued to increase until vine kill. Cultivar-specific differences were observed in the timing and extent of periderm maturation.
Periderm strength at 50% harvest index provided a meaningful benchmark for evaluating skin set in early-harvest systems. These findings support more informed decisions for cultivar selection, harvest timing, and postharvest handling to reduce skinning damage and improve tuber quality.
马铃薯（L.）周皮的发育对于保护块茎免受生物和非生物胁迫至关重要，但在活跃生长季节，周皮成熟、地上部发育和块茎生长之间的关系仍知之甚少。我们假设，地上部生长和生物量分配的品种特异性差异会影响田间条件下周皮结构发育的时间和程度以及块茎生长。本研究旨在通过研究田间条件下周皮成熟与地上部发育和块茎生长的关系来填补这一空白。
在重复的田间试验中评估了三个商业品种：阿尔图拉、清水褐皮和褐皮伯班克。在多个阶段测量地上部生物量、块茎产量和总生物量，同时使用组织学成像评估周皮解剖结构，并通过从块茎形成到藤蔓枯萎的抗剪切力来量化强度。
阿尔图拉表现出最高的地上部生物量、块茎产量和周皮强度。通过细胞层数和厚度测量的木栓层结构在种植后约100天稳定下来，但剪切强度在藤蔓枯萎前持续增加。在周皮成熟的时间和程度上观察到了品种特异性差异。
收获指数为50%时的周皮强度为评估早收系统中的表皮形成提供了一个有意义的基准。这些发现支持在品种选择、收获时间和采后处理方面做出更明智的决策，以减少去皮损伤并提高块茎质量。
