The potential of using cut sets of seed potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) to propagate CONNECT and GRANOLA varieties

Abstract

Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) are vegetatively propagated using whole tubers, and due to the high cost of seed potatoes, it is extremely difficult for the majority of smallholder farmers to buy imported seed potatoes of high yielding, new varieties. Use of cut sets of seed potatoes instead of whole tubers would be a better solution to reduce the cost of production. However, there are limited scientific evidences that compare the performances of cut and uncut seed potatoes. Thus, the potential of propagating potato using cut sets of seed potatoes with proper wound healing treatments was assessed at a farmer field in Blackpool, Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka during February June, 2022. Two separate experiments were conducted in the field and polybag pots. In the field trial, six wound healing treatments (uncut, fresh cut, fresh cut with lime paste, cut and cured for 5, 10, 15 days) were tested on two potato varieties CONNECT and GRANOLA using two-factor factorial Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates. In the pot study, seven different wound healing treatments (Uncut, cut with wood ash paste, cut with wood ash + 1% sodium bicarbonate mixture, cut with wood ash + margosa oil + palm oil mixture, cut with mancozeb, cut with lime paste and cut without paste) were tested on CONNECT variety using Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four replicates. In the field trial, variety × wound healing treatment interaction was significant (p≤0.05) for tuber weight per plant, leaf area, and plant height. Wound healing treatment had significant effect on tuber yield per plant, number of tubers and number of off shaped tubers in the pot study too. Fresh cut and cut with lime paste treatments showed statistically similar tuber yield as compared to uncut seed potatoes of CONNECT variety in both field (1.1-1.3 kg plant-1) and pot experiments (0.7-0.9 kg plant-1). Yield was reduced significantly (45% reduction) in plants propagated by cut sets compared to whole tubers in GRANOLA. In conclusion, cut sets of potato seed tubers would be a better alternative to whole tubers particularly for variety CONNECT that reduces cost of seed potatoes.