Five experiments which studied the effects of a wide range of dates of planting on contrasting potato varieties in Pembrokeshire are reported. In three experiments (1976–7) four early varieties (Home Guard, Arran Comet, Irish Peace and Ulster Sceptre) were sprouted from the end of dormancy and compared at four dates of planting, which began as soon as soil conditions allowed (February in 1975 and 1976 and March in 1977). In these experiments all early-emerging treatments were damaged by frost and in 1975 and 1976 date of planting had little effect on leaf area index or yield. In 1977 planting in late April delayed and increased peak leaf area index but reduced yields throughout harvesting. In all experiments the emergence of varieties was affected by date of planting. The varieties with the longest sprouts emerged first only from the earliest plantings; at late plantings all varieties emerged together, which suggests that rate of post-planting sprout elongation decreased in this old seed as planting was delayed despite increasing soil temperatures. The implications for testing of early varieties are discussed.

In two further experiments two early varieties (Home Guard in both years and Red Craigs Royal and Arran Comet in 1 year) were compared with three maincrop varieties (Désirée, Maris Piper, Stormont Enterprise) using seed which did not begin to sprout until January at dates of planting beginning in March. Sprout length was again poorly related to earliness of emergence. Delaying planting delayed and increased peak leaf area index in all varieties but only increased yields in the early varieties which had the smallest leaf areas. In maincrop varieties date of planting had little effect on final yields. In these years there were long periods without rain and in 1976 yields were limited by the amount of water available from the soil, for as each treatment exhausted this supply bulking ceased.