Abstract
Small minitubers (1.3 to 1.9 cm diameter), produced in the greenhouse from tissue culture plantlets are usually discarded because they are undersized for field planting. They have potential as a means of expanding the production of basic nuclear potato seedstocks. Field trials were conducted to evaluate the performance of greenhouse-produced minitubers at 15 and 30 cm spacings, with one or two minitubers/hill, and with or without encapsulation in a moist ball of artificial greenhouse peat-lite mix. All minitubers were green-sprouted for about two weeks under 16 hr/day fluorescent lighting before planting. Encapsulation in moist peat-lite mix significantly increased total yield by an average of 44% over minitubers without the soil mix. Independent of encapsulation, closer seed spacing and two minitubers/hill increased yields by an average of 35% and 20%, respectively, compared to wider spacing and one minituber/hill. Yields of encapsulated minitubers compared favorably with cut (50 gm) and whole (80 gm) seed, averaging 103% of the cut and 87% of the whole seed yields, respectively. These results indicate that small minitubers can be used effectively to expand production of basic nuclear seedstocks.
Compendio
Los tuberculillos (1.3 a 1.9 cm de diámetro), producidos en el invernadero por plantitas obtenidas por cultivo de tejidos son descartados generalmente por ser demasiado pequeños para ser sembrados en el campo. Ellos tienen potencial como un medio para aumentar la productión de reservas de semilla-básica nuclear de papa.
Se condujeron ensayos de campo, para evaluar el comportamiento de tuberculillos producidos en el invernadero, sembrándolos a distanciamientos de 15 y 30 cm, y a razón de uno o dos tuberculillos por punto de siembra, con o sin encapsulamiento en una bola humedecida de una mezcla artificial de invernadero compuesta de carbones vegetal y de piedra.
Todos los tuberculillos fueron sometidos a verdeado y brotamiento por más o menos dos semanas bajo iluminación fluorecente, a razón de 16 hr/día, antes de ser sembrados.
El encapsulado en la mezcla húmeda de carbones incrementó significativamente el rendimiento total, en un promedio de 44%, sobre los tuberculillos no encapsulados en dicha mezcla.
Independientemente del encapsulado, el distanciamiento más corto y los puntos de siembra con dos tuberculillos incrementaron los rendimientos promedio en 35% y 20%, respectivamente, en comparación al mayor espaciamiento y puntos de siembra con sólo un tuberculillo. Los rendimientos de los tuberculillos encapsulados pueden compararse favorablemente a las semillas cortadas (50 g) y enteras (80 g), con un promedio de 103% del rendimiento de la semilla cortada y 87% de la entera.
Estos resultados indican que los tuberculillos pueden ser utilizados eficientemente, para aumentar la productión de reservas de semilla-básica nuclear.
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Melching, J.B., Slack, S.A. & Jones, E.D. Field performance of peat-lite mix encapsulated small minitubers. American Potato Journal 70, 285–299 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02851422
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02851422