Effects of root cutting on tuber yield and quality in Helianthus tuberosus

Taking red skin Jerusalem artichoke as the test material, two root cutting stages (vegetative growth stage and squaring stage) and five root cutting radius(20, 40, 60, 80, and 0 cm) have been designed to investigate the effect of root cutting on tuber yield and quality of Jerusalem artichoke in this study. The results showed that tuber yield was significantly improved by cutting root (P<0.05) and the highest tuber yield was obtained at 20 cm cutting radius in squaring stage. Cutting treatment significantly increased the soluble sugar content of tuber. Under the treatment of 80 cm during vegetative growth stage, tuber acquired the maximum soluble sugar content while under the treatment of 20 cm soluble sugar content was minimum. Caloric value of tuber was significantly decreased by the treatment of 40 cm cutting during vegetative growth stage and 80 cm cutting during squaring stage, and the rest treatments had no significant influence on it. All treatments had no significant influence on ash except the treatments of 20 cm, 60 cm cutting during squaring stage and 80 cm cutting during vegetative growth stage.