The effect of Minituber Weight on their Field Performance under a Northern European environment
¹Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Faculty of Agriculture, Liela street 2, LV 3001 Jelgava, Latvia
²Institute of Agricultural Resources and Economics, Zinatnes street 2, LV 4126 Priekuli, Latvia
*Correspondence: ilze.dimante@arei.lv
Abstract:
Weight of potato minitubers as well cultivar affects field performance of minitubers. The aim of this study was to compare minitubers of four weight classes (MtC) (3 to 4.99 g, 5 to 9.99 g, 10 to 19.99 g, and > 20 g) with respect to their field performance. Three year experiments were conducted at AREI, Latvia (57°19′ N, 25°20′ E) between 2014 and 2016. Cultivars ‘Monta’, ‘Prelma’ and ‘Mandaga’ were used. A significant relationship between the number of stems and the number of progeny tubers per plant was detected and the number of stems explained 74% of variation in progeny tuber number. Multiplication rate, expressed as the number of progeny tubers > 25 mm per planted minituber, was in range from 4.2 to 13.1 tubers and was significantly affected by the cultivar and MtC. Cultivar and MtC had significant effect on the number of tubers and tuber yield per m2. The number of progeny tubers and yield increased with increases for MtC. The highest number of progeny tubers (size > 25 mm) per m2 were obtained from minitubers > 20 g of ‘Prelma’ (93.4), but the highest yield was from minitubers > 20 g of ‘Mandaga’ (4.92 kg m-2). The effect of MtC was more pronounced on number of tubers than on tuber yield. Cultivar and MtC determined mean size (diameter (μ)) of progeny tubers. Mean size increased as MtC decreased. MtC had a significant effect on standard deviation (σ) only for ‘Prelma’. When σ was recalculated to coefficient of variation (CV), no significant effect of MtC remained.
Key words:
multiplication rate, seed potato, tuber size distribution, tuber yield