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AGRICULTURAE
CONSPECTUS SCIENTIFICUS
Volume 63, Supplement No 4, 1998 (315-323)
ORIGINAL
SCIENTIFIC PAPER
Research
on the Quality a Mechanised Method of Treating Potato Tuber Before Planting
J. BARČIĆ 1
Jasminka IGRC BARČIĆ 2
M. MACELJSKI 2
SUMMARY
The potato
is the third most important crop in Croatia. The planted surface is 60.000-65.000
hectare. The value of the crop depends on the quality of tubers. The damaged
tubers have a minor value. Therefore it is important to prevent damages
caused by soil insect pests, especially wireworms.
Until recently, only two granular insecticides were registered to protect
potato tubers from soil insects. Recently, in 1996, a new insecticide
was registered (imidacloprid) for seed tuber treatment before planting.
It is expected that some other insecticides, but also fungicides, applied
by tuber treatment will be registered soon. In order to make possible
such treatment an equipment was constructed in which most parts from the
usual sprayer were used. By using this equipment mounted on a planting
machine the planting process was slowed down only 7,5-8%.
The biological effects of such a mechanised treatment used in macrotials
were compared with treatments in microtrials in which tubers were sprayed
by hand sprayers ensuring an ideal distribution of the insecticide. The
parameters were: the influence on the plant development, the degree of
tuber protection from soil insects, the efficacy on the colorado potato
beetle and the achieved yields. The results obtained by the mechanised
and the hand treatments were equal or similar, thus confirming the good
quality of the spray distribution of the constructed equipment and its
applicability in the Croatian agriculture.
KEY WORDS
potato,
tuber treatment
1 Department of
Agricultural Engineering
2 Department of Agricultural Zoology
Faculty of Agriculture University of Zagreb
Svetošimunska cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Received: November 9, 1998
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