EXPOSING POTATO SEED TUBER TO HIGH VOLTAGE 2-EFFECTS ON YIELD QUALITY

A field experiment was carried out at College of Agriculture/Abu-Ghraib, by exposing potato tuber seeds (class Elite) In the spring season and (class A) In the fall season of 2005 to electricity field (0 as control, 550 volt/cm (AC), 1150 volt/cm (DC) and 2300 volt/cm (DC) respectively for 1, 2 and 4 minutes II week before planting in factorial RCBD experiment design, to study the effect of these treatments on potato yield quality. Results showed that high voltage treatments decreased the percent of total soluble sugars significantly in the spring season when high voltage fields was used especially at 1150 volt/cm treatment which it decreased by 16.31 % compared to control treatment, and the different was not significant in fall season. Treating the tuber seeds with 1150 volt/cm increased the tuber firmness by 5.00 and 16.78% compared to control and 550 volt/cm treatments respectively for spring season, while at fall season the control treatment increased it by 9.85% compared to 550 volt/cm treatment. Treating the tuber seeds with 1150 volt/cm increased the protein content by 1.27 and 16.79% compared to control and 1150 volt/cm treatments at spring season, but at fall season the control treatment increased this values by 9.22,5.48 and 7.69% compared to 550, 1150 and 2300 volt/cm treatments respectively. Results also showed that dry matter, starch and specific gravity was increased in tubers from 550 volt/cm by 2.76 , 3.60 and 0.21 % as compared to control treatment and significantly increased by 15.01,20.56 and 1.06% as compared to 1150 volt/cm at spring season, in contrast in the fall season when high voltage fields was used especially at 550 volt/cm treatment decreased these values by 9.06 , 11.85 and 0.60% compared to control treatment.