Enhanced seed multiplication in Potato through cut seed and stem cutting
Abstract
Enhanced multiplication potential of stem cutting method by use of cut seed was investigated during 1992–94 With four Dutch potato cultivars Cardinal, Diamant. Multa and Patrones. About 60(±5)g seed tubers of three categories viz. whole tuber, longitudinal half cut and single eye seed piece were used. Cardinal provided significantly maximum single eye seed piece (10.0) as compared to minimum 8.3 in Diamant. Due to repeated cutting of stem from the plant emerged from whole and cut seed tubers/pieces, on an average, a whole tuber provided 42.4 cuttings as compared to 62 in half cut and 90.8 in Single eye seed piece. Each cut shoot, on an average, produced 3 tubers weighing II g. First and second cuttings produced 4 tubers per plant as compared to 2 in the fifth cutting. In total, a whole tuber produced 130 tubers. while cutting seed tuber into halves produced 185 and single eye seed piece 277 tubers. In each category of seed. mother plant also produced 12, 16 and 43 tubers. respectively. Thus, the actual rate of multiplication for three category of seed sizes was 1:144, 1:203 and 1:328. respectively as compared to 1:l0 in uncut whole tubers.
