Performance of Different Size True Potato Seed Seedling Tubers at Khumaltar

Abstract

A field study was carried out at Khumaltar-Lalitpur, during 2002-2004 to evaluate and compare
the performance of different sizes of seedling tubers (1-5 g, 5-10 g, 10-20 g and 20-40 g) of true
potato seed (TPS) with whole and half cut seed tubers of Desiree of 20-40 g size at 60- × 25-cm
spacing. Percent emergence, plant height, ground cover by foliage, stems/plant, number of tubers
per plant, marketable and total yields were significantly increased with the increase in seedling
tubers weight as compared to whole and half cut seed tubers of Desiree. Late blight
(Phytophthora infestans L.) disease was quite low in the TPS crops than Desiree. Both whole
and half cut seed tubers of Desiree produced significantly higher average per tuber weight.
Uniformity of the tubers harvested from different sizes of seedling tubers was statistically
similar and tubers from Desiree were statistically uniform as compared to seedling tubers. The
three years result suggests that more than 1 g size seedling tubers can be successfully used for
potato production as from the seed tubers of any standard variety.

Key words: Desiree; seedling tuber; tuber size; tuber yield

DOI: 10.3126/narj.v6i0.3341

Nepal Agriculture Research Journal Vol.6 2005 pp.28-34