OPTIMIZING PLANTING GEOMETRY OF IN VITRO POTATO PLANTS FOR GROWTH AND MINITUBERS PRODUCTION IN NETHOUSE

Abstract

The study was carried out at Central Potato Research Institute Campus, Modipuram in nethouse during two conjugative seasons of 2005 and 2006, with an objective to optimize planting geometry of potato in vitro plants for minitubers production from three potato cultivars Kufri Bahar, Kufri Badshah and Kufri Chipsona-1. Plant growth parameters like plant height, number of stems and fresh biomass yield per plant were higher at wider planting geometry, however, differences were significant only in case of wider inter-rows. Leaf area index was significantly higher at closer inter and intra-row spacings. Cv. Kufri Chipsona-1 showed to be superior for growth parameters. Like growth parameters, yield parameters viz. harvest index, number of minitubers per plant, yield and mean minituber weight were also higher at wider inter (45 cm) and intrarow (20 cm) spacings; however, differences were significant only in case of wider inter-rows, while minitubers yield (kg/m²) was significantly higher at closer inter and intra rows. Number of minitubers per plant and per unit area were significantly higher in cv. Kufri Chipsona-1, while minitubers yield, mean minituber weight and harvest index were significantly higher in cv. Kufri Bahar during both years of study. In vitro plants are costly, so on the basis of number and yield of minitubers produced per plant and mean minituber weight inter-row spacing of 45cm and intra-row spacing of 10 cm were found best for minitubers production under nethouse condition.