[richyrich7]

Yes Jim I think it might when you cover up spuds the plant naturally grows up towards the light, longer stems = more spuds.

 It's interesting to realise a some of the things we do as gardeners, put the plants under stress thus kicking in their survival instincts. Like earthing up your spuds, not feeding tom's till they have a fruit truss, Nasturtiums flower far better in poor soil Etc all different ways of stressing a plant to produce a crop/flowers. Other times we have to do the complete opposite cauli's or beetroot for instance.

On my allotments some of the older growers plant 12" deep and don't earth up. Could be by earthing up all we are doing is saving ourselves a bundle load of digging deep to find the spuds.  :?: Hence the "no dig" brigades answer of smothering them with stuff to exclude the light.

Now you really got me thinking.