b'Andys Advice:How To Pre-cut Potato Seed TubersBy Andy Robinson, Extension Potato Agronomist, NDSU/UMNcells, or the tuber will rot. F.Skinwilltakeapproximately twice as long to heal when tempera-Thepurposeofthepotatotubertures are 45F compared to 52F and skin is to retard moisture loss andeven longer at cooler temperatures protectthetuberfrompathogen(Table 1). Tubers will heal faster at invasion.Whenseedtubersarewarmer temperatures, but there is a planted and the cut surface is nothigherriskofpathogendevelop-fullyhealed,itmakespathogenment, especially bacterial soft rot. entry easy. This could happen from poor handling of seed (breaking thePre-cutting seed has advantages and skin) or incomplete suberization ofdrawbackscomparedtofreshcut cutseed.Insomecaseswhenseed. Pre-cut seed has been reported sproutsarelongandknockedoffto emerge earlier, have more vigor-seed tuber pieces, this can make anousearlygrowth,haveahigher Since the last growing season thereentry point for diseases. plantpopulation,healthierplants, have been several questions regard- and improved yield (Table 2) com-ing suberization of cut potato seedCuttingseedintroducesaninjuryparedtofreshcutseed.However, tubers and wound healing of potatothatmustheal,ortheseedpiecepre-cuttingseediscostlyandcan tubersgoingintostorage.willnotsurvive.Ifcuttingandincrease risk of pathogen entry and Suberization and wound healing areplantingimmediately,seedtubersbreakdown when the pre-cut seed is the same process. When a tuber iscan heal in the soil if conditions arenotproperlystoredandsuberized. damaged,waterlossandriskoffavorableforwoundhealing.TheAdditionally, pointed corners result-infectionbybacterialandfungalchallengeiscontrollingtheenvi- ing from cutting are more suscepti-pathogens is greatly increased. Theronmentinthesoilforthetimeble to damage when handling pre-damage to the tuber must heal byneededforsuberization.Idealsoilcut seed, creating new wounds.developing protective layers of newconditions are when soil moisture is 60-65% and a temperature of 50-60Howdoestuberskinheal?This 12 POTATO GROWER APRIL 2023'