Influence of Nitrogen Supply of Potato Plantlets on In Vitro Tuberization Pattern under Inductive and Non-inductive Conditions

Abstract

The effects of nitrogen supply of in vitro plantlets on subsequent in vitro tuberization were examined in three potato varieties. In vitro plantlets were raised on MS media with varying amounts of ammonium nitrate, resulting in 70, 80, 100, 120 and 160% of the standard N content in MS medium and various nitrate : ammonium ratios. Tuberization was induced by adding an 8% sucrose solution to 4-week old plantlets and keeping them 2 weeks under short or long days (8 and 16 h illumination per day, respectively), followed by darkness for 9 weeks. Under long days, a lower nitrogen content in the medium and higher nitrate : ammonium ratio were favourable for the development of large tubers (>6 mm). Under short days, the total number of tubers increased with an increase in nitrogen content of the medium in cultivars Gulbaba and Desiree but not in cultivar Boro, while the number of large tubers was not significantly influenced by nitrogen supply. The tuber weight per plantlet was strongly influenced by genotype. Nitrogen supply of the in vitro plantlets had a prolonged effect on in vitro tuberization. Because the optimum nitrogen treatment is genotype specific, the quantity of large in vitro tubers could be increased by adjusting the nitrogen content of the medium.