John Larsen

The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an incredibly diverse crop. Potatoes have high nutritional content and are the 4th most grown crop after rice, wheat, and maize. After tubers (individual potatoes) are harvested, they enter a period of suspended growth or dormancy. The yield of a potato crop can be compromised when tubers sprout prior to planting. Dormancy is a complex trait, partially controlled by genetics, and breeders are tasked with releasing cultivars that both maintain dormancy in storage and sprout when planted. MN13142, a cultivar soon to be released by the University of Minnesota, has an extended dormancy period, which is a valuable trait in a potato cultivar. Using a variance in spacing when planting MN13142 will give a clear picture of its ideal planting conditions. Long dormancy is important for processing potatoes, because it allows for flexibility in storage techniques. Because MN13142 has the asset of long dormancy, we conducted this experiment to evaluate spacing effects on MN13142.