Production of mini potato tubers in two rotations of protected ground in the conditions of North Ossetia-Alania

Abstract

The aim of the research was to grow potato mini-tubers in two crop rotations of protected ground using micro-plants and micro-tubers in vitro as planting material. The experiments were carried out in 2019-2021 in the Republic of North OssetiaAlania (the North Caucasus). The initial in vitro material was planted in spring (April-June) and summer (August-October) rotations in 5 L pots filled with peat substrate. The pots were placed in polycarbonate-lined greenhouses. The objects for the research were the potato varieties Gulliver, Sadon and Kumach. Microplants (control), standard (> 9 mm) and non-standard (5-9 mm) micro-tubers were used as variants for laying the experiment. According to the results of biometric observations in the period from sprouting to the plants reaching 20 cm, the presence of unevenness in plant height was noted in the variants with the use of micro-tubers. In the spring rotation, the cultivation of mini-tubers from microplants contributed to the formation of 6.9-8.0 pcs/plant with a standard fraction yield of 6.1-7.2 pcs. Productivity in variants with planting micro-tubers of 5-9 mm in size decreased by 1.6-1.9 times compared with micro-plants. In the summer rotation, the plants formed from 3.5 to 6.5 minitubers with a standard seed fraction yield of 53-72 %. Microtubers > 9mm (potato varieties: Gulliver and Kumach) in summer planting were more productive than micro-plants. On average, they formed 6.1-6.7 pcs/plant, which exceeded the control variant by 0.8-2.1 pcs. According to the results of the research, the total number of formed mini-tubers during summer rotation was 1.2-1.4 times lower than during spring rotation. The use of two rotations in the process of growing mini-tubers in protected ground contributed to an increase in the quantitative yield of produced seed material for the growing season by 1.7 times.