b'This results in blind seed pieces when 10o F (5o to 6o C)the seed is cut. Blind seed pieces will notsprout resulting in poor emergence.Lateorerraticdormancy.(Steve Temperatureshockonseed.(SteveJohnson,UniversityofMaine Johnson,UniversityofMaineCooperative Extension) Cooperative Extension)Plantingwet,pre-cutseedinstorageSoil/Seed Conditions with poor ventilation and high humidi-Eyes concentrated at bud end. (Steve Extremelyhighsoiltemperaturecan ty.Johnson,UniversityofMaine burn the sprouts. This is often seen inCooperative Extension)sandy, hot soil when potatoes are emerg-Low Dry Matter ing. VarietieswithlowdrymattersuchasColomba or Red Norland are prone to Sproutnumberincreasesandnewtuber rot if the seed is treated with a liq- sproutsre-grow,butemergenceisuid seed treatment.delayedandnotuniform.Leavescanbecome malformed and appear to haveThe cut surface stays wet and does not herbicide-like injury. suberize but rots. Tubers that cut wet are Poorseedstoragecanaffectstand.moredifficulttosuberizeandmore (Steve Johnson, University of Maineprone to rot.Cooperative Extension) Seed cutters not calibrated properly canincrease wedge and sliver pieces that areblind. Seed cutters not properly sharp-ened do not cut cleanly, making suber-ization difficult. Driedvssuberizedcutseed.Cutseedthat is not properly suberized but kepttoo dry can have dried skin (no suber-Cut seed prone to tuber rot. (Eugenia ized) and prone to crack and allow dis-Banks, Ontario Potato Board) ease entry and rot. Burntsproutsfromhightempera-tures.(SteveJohnson,UniversityofLate, Erratic DormancyMaine Cooperative Extension)Varieties Waneta and Bannock Russetare prone to these problems. Plantingwarm,freshlycutseedintoEmergenceandstandsareoftennon- cold soils can lead to poor stands as canuniform due to differential sprouting of planting cut seed into cold, wet soils. bud-end and lateral eyes. Poorlycutseed.(SteveJohnson,The temperature difference between soil UniversityofMaineCooperativeand seed pulp should be no more than Extension)22 POTATO GROWER MAY/JUNE 2021'