Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture - Tissue Culture-Derived Microtubers: Increasing Their Usefulness to the Potato Seed Industry

Abstract: Significant modifications in dormancy duration of microtubers in the potato cultivars ‘Kennebec', ‘Russet Burbank' and ‘Shepody' were obtained by different methods. In the first approach, the application of an 8 hour photoperiod instead of continuous darkness during tuber induction and development increased microtuber number and total fresh weight while significantly reducing dormancy duration. In the second approach, the use of bromoethane vapour alone for 24hour or followed by a 3d treatment of 60% CO2/20% O2/20% N2 lead to a rapidly growing apical sprout in the treated microtubers. These treatments subsequently resulted in a significant, cultivar-specific increase in minituber production under greenhouse conditions when compared to untreated controls. Similar beneficial effects of dormancy release treatments were observed when the microtubers were stored at 6C for 2 months prior to treatment. The treatments were consistently effective and should improve scheduling flexibility for production of disease-free germplasm.

¹Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Fredericton, NB E3B 9H8
²Potato & Horticulture Branch, NBDARD, Fredericton, NB E3B 5H1