Evaluation of Quantitative and Qualitative Traits of 18 Potato Clones

Introducing potato cultivars with high yield, early maturing and desirable quality have a key role in food security, decreasing the fluctuation of the price and the store costs and also providing fresh crops throughout the year. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plant is one of leading agricultural products in the world with 365 million ton glands in year stands in fourth place after wheat, rice and corn.
The main objective of the breeding program is yield. Increase in plant yield in the past due to the gradual elimination of defects visible by experts and today the new criteria for selection are based on principles of morphological and functional characteristics associated with the plant. Variety is one of the effective factors on plant growth and development on potato that yields components of potato is heavily dependent on it. Yield increasing in each variety affect the genetic and natural structure of variety.
Nine clones of Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Kennebec from sources in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, and the commercially grown clone, clone 1, which was imported from Vancouver, were multiplied from pathogen-tested seed and compared in 3 Victorian potato districts during 2 seasons. The results showed that differences exist in total and size grade yield and tuber number and appearance between clones of a cultivar. They further highlight the importance of selection work to maintain desirable characteristics of established cultivars and to remove mutants with undesirable characteristics.
The results of the study, Hassanpanah and Hassanabadi (2012) showed that the clones 397003-7, 396151-27, 397045-100 and Savalan (check) produced higher total and marketable tuber yield, tuber number and weight per plant, plant height, main stem number per plant, tuber size average and stable tuber yield. These clones produced high and mid-uniform tuber, tuber inner crack and tuber inner ring, mid-late maturity and mid and high dry in comparison to those of check. Based on results of this experiment, the clones 397003-7, 396151-27 and 397045-100 could be selected for Ardebil region.
The objective of this research was to evaluate the quantitative and qualitative traits of cultivars and advanced potato clones in spring cultivation (Jolge-e-Rokh region).
In this research, 18 potato clones for the quantitative and qualitative traits were compared with three check cultivars including: Agria (suitable for French-fries), Marfona (suitable for boiled eating) and Lady Rosetta (suitable for chips) in Jolge-Rokh Agriculture Research Station, the location 35'¸ 50° north latitude and 59° east longitude and 1721 m above sea level, in crop year 2011. Experimental design was Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Treatment consisted of 18 advanced potato clones: 396151-8, 397045-4, 397045-10, TP12-13, TP21-29, TP12-8, 397007-16, 397007-17, 396140-6, 397009-8, 397015-14, 397003-7, 396151-27, 397045-100, 397097-9, 396151-20, 397045-7 and 69 indigenous with three control cultivars (Agria, Marfona and Lady Rosetta). Tubers were planted on two rows with 6 meters length. Distance between row and plants on the row were 75 and 25 cm, respectively. Area of each plot was 9 square meter. The evaluated characters were total yield, marketable yield, eye number, dry matter percentage, tuber number per plant, tuber weight per plant and mean of tuber weight. In order to measure total yield, after maturity, and remove the aerial organs, all of the tubers were harvested and the fresh weight was obtained. After removal of the tumor in bad shape, with soft rot and smaller than 30 mm that cannot be sold as part of the marketable yield, rest of them were used to measure marketable yield. Tuber dry matter percentage (TDM%) was determined from the relationship between fresh and dry weights of sub-sample of 8-10 thinly sliced tubers dried for 48 h at 80° C. Data were analyzed using SAS 9.1 software. The analysis of variance on test data and comparison to the middle of the LSD test was performed at the 5% level.
The results showed that differences were significant among cultivars and clones in total yield, marketable yield, dry matter percentage, tuber number and weight per plant and mean of tuber weight. Based on the results of the analysis of variance of total tuber yield were observed among the clones, there was significant difference at 1% level. The maximum total yield of tubers related to the 397007-16 clone among the clones and the lowest total yield of tubers, related to the 397097-9 clone. The 397007-16 clone and Marfona cultivar had the highest tuber weight and the 397097-9 clone had the lowest tuber weight. The indigenous 69 and the 397045-10 clones had the highest and lowest number of tuber per plant, respectively. The 69 indigenous clone had the highest amount of dry matter percentage compared to other clones meaning that this clone is suitable for chips production.
Behjati et al (2013) in their research in order to the evaluation of yield and effective characteristics on yield of promising potato clones, showed a treatment effect on number of tubers per plant, average weight of single tuber per plant, total yield of tubers and marketable tubers yield was significant at 1% level.
In general, present results showed that 397007-16 clone was better in tuber weight per plant and total yield compared to other clones.