EVALUATION OF ADVANCED POTATO (SOLANUM TUBEROSUM L.) GENOTYPES FOR SALINITY TOLERANCE BASED ON YIELD AND AGRONOMIC TRAITS

Salinity stress is a major constraint on potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production, particularly in salinity-proneregions such as the Indo-Gangetic plains. This study evaluated 58 potato genotypes, including 54 advanced breeding linesand 4 released varieties, under control (ECe < 1 dS/m) and saline (ECe ~ 6.8-7.05 dS/m) environments. Genotypes wereassessed for key agronomic traits, including marketable tuber yield (MTY), non-marketable tuber yield (NMTY), totaltuber yield (TTY), marketable and non-marketable tuber no. and dry matter content (DM%). Salinity stress significantlyreduced MTY and TTY, with yield reductions ranging from 1.86% to 65.74% and an average reduction of 31.70%. Genotypessuch as WS/19-911 (yield reduction – 1.86%), WS/17-321 (2.39%) and WS/18-407 (3.16%) demonstrated superior tolerance,exhibiting minimal yield reductions, while others, including WS/17-717 (65.74%), WS/19-701 (63.64%) and WS/17-813 (60.43%),showed high susceptibility. Among released varieties, Kufri Bahar exhibited the lowest yield reduction (7.32%) in thecurrent investigation. The Stress susceptibility index (SSI) varied across genotypes, with tolerant lines maintaining stableyields under stress. These findings highlight the potential of salinity-tolerant genotypes for breeding programs aimed atimproving potato productivity in saline environments. This research underscores the importance of selecting genotypesthat combine high marketable yields with resilience to salinity stress for sustainable cultivation.