Effect of deficit irrigation on yield, yield component and water use efficiency in some ‎potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars from diallel crossing

This study was conducted for create genetic diversity and access to suitable hybrids in terms of agronomic traits, marketability and adaptation to climatic conditions and tolerance to water deficit stress in Ardabil region during two years (2017 and 2018). The experiment was splitplot based on randomized complete blocks design with three replications. The main plot was deficit irrigationat three levels (100, 80 and 60% of plant water requirement) and the sub plot consisted of 12 potato populations. Results of analysis of variance showed that there was significant difference between different levels of deficit irrigation, genotypes and their interactions in terms of number and weight of tuber per plant, tuber yield, number of main stems per plant and length of stolon and in terms of tuber dry matter percentage, only significant difference was observed between genotypes. In this experiment of the 279 successful crossings 244 hybrids were selected. Selected hybrids had an average of 975.5 g and 7.5 tubers per plant. In all three environmental conditions, the highest tuber weight per plant and tuber yield was related to ♂Agria × ♀Ceaser hybrid, and in normal and moderate stress conditionsbelonged to ♂Savalan × ♀Ceaser hybrid. The highest water use efficiency was observed in all three environmental conditions in hybrids 2 [Agria (mother parent) × Caeser (mother parent)] and 9 [Caeser (mother parent) × Savalan (father parent)].