TITLE:
Influence of the Size of Potato Microtubers (Solanum tuberosum L.) on the Yield of Plants under Semi-Axenic Conditions
AUTHORS:
Abraham Diémé, Oumar Ba, Maurice Sagna, Mame Ourèye Sy
KEYWORDS:
Solanum tuberosum, Microtubers, Germination, Seed Size, Yield, Minitubers
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology,
Vol.12 No.3,
March
25,
2021
ABSTRACT: The potato (Solanum
tuberosum L.) is a vegetable that ranks fifth in the world for human
consumption. Its importance is growing more and more in the Senegalese diet.
However, the potato production in Senegal does not meet the needs of the market,
which maintains dependence on the outside
for the supply of quality seeds. In addition,
these imported seeds do not often have phytosanitary
qualities required for local production in the Sahelian zone. The in vitro production of microtubers, used as seed, has been shown to be
one of the most efficient means for propagation of basic material. To overcome the
constraints linked to the supply and availability of potato seeds, with high
germination capacity, the impact of the microtuber
size on the yield of the plants under semi-controlled conditions was examined. The pre-germinated microtubers were produced in vitro from vitroplants of
3 different varieties (Aida, Atlas, Odessa) adapted to the edaphic-climatic conditions of Senegal. The
effects of the seed sizes of microtubers,
greater than 4 mm, sown under semi-controlled conditions, on the yield of the
plants, result in an increase in the ratio, in the
vegetative development of the plants, but also in
the number and size of the minitubers
harvested. The yield of the plants also depends on the variety. It can
therefore be envisaged to produce local potato seeds from microtubers and minitubers.