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Evaluation of breeding strategies for drought tolerance in potato by means of crop growth simulation

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Abstract

Breeding strategies for drought tolerance in potato were evaluated by means of a crop growth model, in which seasonal courses of crop dry matter accumulation and soil moisture availability were simulated in dependence of plant characteristics and weather and soil data.

Several plant characteristics substantially influenced the simulated instantaneous water consumption of the genotype. However, effects of genotypic differences on final tuber yield were much smaller because of the close relationship between transpiration and growth. Hence, a lower water consumption not only saved water for later use, but was also at the expense of the actual growth rate. Selection for low-transpiration types, at unchanged water use efficiency, would result in lower yields under optimum conditions.

Short periods of drought, in general, reduced tuber yield of late genotypes less than that of early genotypes. Late genotypes had a surplus of leaf area for full light interception giving a lower impact of leaf area reduction. Late drought affected early genotypes less because of escape.

The simulation results emphasized the complexity of selection for drought tranrance caused by the many plant processes involved, the contrast between instantaneous and cumulative reactions and the strong genotype × environment interaction for drought tolerance.

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  1. Centre for Agrobiological Research (CABO), P.O. Box 14, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    C. J. T. Spitters & A. H. C. M. Schapendonk

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  1. C. J. T. Spitters
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  2. A. H. C. M. Schapendonk
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Spitters, C.J.T., Schapendonk, A.H.C.M. Evaluation of breeding strategies for drought tolerance in potato by means of crop growth simulation. Plant Soil 123, 193–203 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00011268

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