IN VITRO AND IN VIVO PERFORMANCE OF POTATO CULTIVARS FOR DIFFERENT SEED PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

Abstract

The present study was conducted to identify suitable cultivars for two different tissue culture based seed potato production systems using either micro-plants or micro-tubers. In potato micropropagation, high number of nodes with optimum inter-nodal length (1.0-1.5 cm)is one of the most advantageous economical parameter influencing the in vitro multiplication rate. Among the cultivars, Kufri Anand, Kufri Badshah, Kufri Bahar, Kufri Giriraj and Kufri Himalini were found to have high number of nodes and optimum inter-nodal length on standard medium. during micro-tuber production, cultivars Kufri Chandramukhi, Kufri Anand, Kufri Bahar and Kufri Badshah produced comparatively more number of micro-tubers per flask (11.3-15.5%) with less proportions of small (33.5-57.2%)and lenticel proliferated micro-tubers (0-17.5%). The over all establishment of micro-plants and micro-tuber under in vivo conditions was 64.7 and 63.8% respectively, while, the rate of multiplication was 7.1 and 6.3 times respectively. Based on in vitro and in vivo performance, it can be inferred that the cultivars Kufri Chipsona-1, Kufri Himalini, Kufri Kanchan, Kufri Lauvkar, Kufri Sutlej are suitable for micro-tuber based seed potato production system, whereas, cultivars Kufri Chandramukhi, Kufri Anand, Kufri Bahar, Kufri Giriraj and Kufri Badshah are more suitable for micro-plant based seed potato production system.