Evaluation of Economically Important Cultivars of Seed Potato for Minituber Production

Experiments were conducted to evaluate mass production of potato minitubers by using in vitro produced plants and sprout cuttings under Gilgit Baltistan conditions. The experiments were arranged in Complete Randomized Design and replicated three times. Four potato cultivars ‘Roko’, ‘Bartina’, ‘Barna’ and ‘Kuroda’ multiplied in vitro through nodal cuttings were planted in a greenhouse. The cultivars showed variation in different parameters studied. Results revealed that cv. ‘Kuroda’ showed greater plant height (103.7 cm), higher total tuber weight per plant (194 g) and the maximum number of minitubers per plant (21.9) as well as total number of minitubers per plot (14,235) from 650 in vitro produced plants, whereas shorter plant height (33.4 cm), lower tuber weight per plant (102.8 g) and the minimum number of minitubers per plant (9.4) and total number of minitubers per plot (6,110) were observed in cv. ‘Bartina’. However, the cultivar Bartina’ produced the maximum number of stems per plant (2.2), while cv. ‘Roko’ had the minimum number of stems per plant (1.4). In another experiment, the cultivars ‘Roko’, ‘Asterix’, ‘Barna’ and ‘Paramount’ were reproduced using sprout cuttings (650 each) grown under screen house conditions. The cultivar ‘Asterix’ developed maximum number of minitubers per plant (5.9) and per plot (3,835 g). However, plant height was greater (93.4 cm) in cv. ‘Paramount’ and total tuber weight per plant was higher (198.3 g) in cv, ‘Barna’. On the other hand, the short plant height (52.2 cm) and lower total tuber weight per plot (144.7 g) were produced in cv. ‘Roko’, and the minimum number of minitubers per plant (4.7) and total minitubers per plot (3,055 g) were observed in variety ‘Barna’. The performance of in vitro produced plants of cv. ‘Kuroda’ was better under greenhouse conditions; while plants of cv. ‘Asterix’ produced through sprout cuttings performed better under screen house conditions.