Abstract
AbstractTo contribute to the development of a novel cropping system for potato grown from greenhouse-derived seedlings from hybrid true potato seeds, planting density trials were carried out under normal Dutch agronomic conditions. For two consecutive years, 5-week-old seedlings of two experimental genotypes were transplanted into farmers’ potato production fields at two contrasting locations: a flat-bed system on sandy soil and a traditional ridge system on clay soil. Planting densities were 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 100 and 200 plants/m2 in the flat-bed system, and 3.125, 4.688, 6.25, 12.5, 25 and 50 plants/m2 in the ridge system. In general, increasing planting density of hybrid seedlings per area decreased tuber fresh weight per plant and reduced the number of tubers per plant. On a per hectare basis, an increased planting density resulted in increased total tuber yield and number of tubers up to very high densities, but finally both parameters levelled off. Highest total tuber yields harvested were 107 and 45 Mg/ha for the flat-bed and ridge system, respectively. On flat-beds, the optimal planting density for total yield was 50 plants/m2. On ridges, planting density interacted with year and genotype, resulting in an optimum planting density of 25 plants/m2 to reach the maximum total yield. Obtained yields in the commercial size classes Baby Baker (20 < size class ≤ 35 mm) and Seed Tubers (28 < size class ≤ 50 mm) were in general very high on the flat-beds, with a maximum Seed Tuber yield of 64 Mg/ha at 50 plants/m2. The current study showed that transplanted hybrid seedlings are feasible alternatives for seed-tuber-grown systems for certain potato outlets.
Highlights
Diploid hybrid breeding in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a promising new technology that facilitates rapid introduction of favourable traits in new varieties (Jansky et al 2016; Bonierbale et al 2020; Ghislain and Douches 2020)
The technology results in diploid hybrid true potato seeds (TPS)
The REML analysis showed that various significant twoway interactions and one four-way interaction occurred between Location, Density, Genotype and Year (L × D × G × Y) for total tuber fresh weight (FW) and number of tubers per plant and per ha, but no three-way interactions (Table 3)
Summary
Diploid hybrid breeding in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a promising new technology that facilitates rapid introduction of favourable traits in new varieties (Jansky et al 2016; Bonierbale et al 2020; Ghislain and Douches 2020). The use of hybrid TPS will require novel cultivation systems to produce ware or seed tubers (Lindhout et al 2018). Region and crop management, field-sown hybrid TPS and transplanted hybrid seedlings could potentially be used in these new cultivation systems. These may produce either seed tubers or ware tubers (Almekinders et al 1996; Lindhout et al 2018; van Dijk et al 2021). For seed-tuber-grown crops, the stem number per unit area is the most suitable measure for density (Reestman and De Wit 1959; Wurr 1974; Allen 1978). Plant density will be an important factor in TPS-grown crops to manipulate number of tubers and tuber-size distribution
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