The article below was recently written by Dr Eugenia Banks, potato specialist with the Ontario Potato Board in Canada. We publish it here courtesy of Dr Banks.
Second growth is a physiological potato problem induced by prolonged air temperatures above 280C and water stress. These 2 factors interact to limit the tuber growth rate, thus causing second growth. Inadequate soil moisture alone does not result in the initiation of second growth.
Southern Ontario in Canada is being hit hard this summer by a long period of excessive heat and drought which is causing second growth on some varieties. Potato varieties differ in their susceptibility to second growth. Fresh market European varieties are often more susceptible because they were selected in countries where the growing season is rarely hot.
There are three distinct types of second growth:
Heat Sprouts: Sprouts are produced from stolons or tubers and grow as new sprouts or develop into above ground leafy stems- Long stolons that protrude from the hill often produce new plants.
Tuber Chaining: A series of small tubers form on a single stolon or new tubers form on stolons of daughter tubers.
Little Tuber Disorder: Little tubers form directly on daughter tubers or on short sprouts emerging from the tuber. They form when tubers are
