Marco, S., Dept. of Virology, ARO, Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel
Efron, H., Revivim Experiment Station, Kibbutz Revivim, Ramat haNegev, Israel
Levy, D., Dept. of Vegetable Crops, ARO, Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel

Seed potatoes were grown in Israel during summer (June-October) at Ramat haNegev (the Negev plateau). This is the hottest season in the semi-arid climate prevailing in the region. Because of the high temperature, no tuberization occurred in cv. ‘Up-to-Date; and ‘Draga’ and ‘Cara’ showed a marked yield reduction. Reasonable yields were, however, obtained at Ramat haNegev during summer growth with the cvs. ‘Désirée’, ‘Blanka’, ‘Spunta’ and ‘Alpha’. At Bet Dagan (coastal plain) Désirée grown during summer met with many problems and yields were negligible, probably because of the higher night temperature as compared with Ramat haNegev. Growth during summer in Ramat haNegev offers the advantages of relative isolation from other potato fields (potatoes are not grown in summer) and low aphid activity, in contrast to the common growing seasons — spring and autumn. Insecticide application and planting high quality seeds — imported elite or Class A — in summer, reduced potato leaf roll virus (PLRV) infection to an average of 4.5% in 1984 and 1.8% in 1985, in comparison with an average of 20.8% in 1979, when poor quality seeds were used and no insecticides were applied. Infection with potato virus Y (PVY) was 1.7% in 1984 and 0.1% in 1985. The yielding capacity in spring 1980 of seed potato produced at Ramat haNegev in the summer of 1979, was significantly lower than that of imported and Golan Heights seed. This is attributed mainly to the high level of virus infection of the former seeds. PLRV-free seed potatoes from the same batch yielded similarly to imported seed potatoes or seed potatoes from the Golan Heights. This was reconfirmed in the 1985 experiment in which Ramat haNegev seeds were much less infected with PLRV and produced yields similar to the imported and Golan ones. Seed potatoes from Ramat haNegev behave like young seeds when planted in the spring. Therefore, their yielding capacity probably increases the earlier the harvest and the longer the subsequent growing period. © 1986, Springer Science + Business Media B.V.. All rights reserved.