Plant Production Science
ISSN: 1343-943X (Print) 1349-1008 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tpps20
Assessment of Potato Mother Tuber Vigour Using the Method of Accelerated Ageing Krystyna Rykaczewska To cite this article: Krystyna Rykaczewska (2013) Assessment of Potato Mother Tuber Vigour Using the Method of Accelerated Ageing, Plant Production Science, 16:2, 171-182, DOI: 10.1626/ pps.16.171 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1626/pps.16.171
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Plant Prod. Sci. 16(2): 171―182 (2013)
Assessment of Potato Mother Tuber Vigour Using the Method of Accelerated Ageing Krystyna Rykaczewska (Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute - NRI, Research Division in Jadwisin, 05-140, Poland)
Abstract: The vigour of seed material determines the seed’s future productivity. Although there are several tests for determining seed vigour, there is a lack of standardization for the vegetative forms of seed material, including seed potatoes. We evaluated the vigour of mother tubers of 14 selected potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars using the method of accelerated ageing, that is, tubers were placed under conditions conducive to their physiological ageing from harvest to planting, in which the most important was the appropriate temperature (18ºC). The decrease in yield caused by such treatment in relation to the optimal storage conditions is a measure of vigour. As traits of tuber ageing, we evaluated the ways in which mother tubers sprouted, the lack of emergence on the plots and yield reduction in the mother tubers subjected to conditions conducive to physiological ageing from harvest to planting. The assessment of vigour was presented on a 9-point scale for ralative yield. There were 3 cultivars that maintained high growth vigour of seed tubers while ageing in the light (mark 9) and 4 cultivars ageing in darkness (mark 8). The vigour of potato mother tubers was not correlated with either the length or mass of sprouts, or the percentage of sprouting eyes, nor was it correlated with the duration of the crop cycle of the individual cultivars. Application of this method allows potato cultivars to be characterized in the same way, regardless of the year of research and the set of cultivars being evaluated. Key words: Accelerated ageing, Physiological ageing in darkness, Physiological ageing in light, Vigour of mother tubers on 9-point scale. The vigour of potato mother tubers and seeds of different plant species is the sum of the properties that determine their physiological potential for rapid and uniform sprouting, full emergence and proper development of plants (Grzesiuk and Górecki, 1981). From the agricultural perspective it determines the seed material’s future productivity, which is a complex trait conditioned genetically, physiologically and ecologically. Therefore, three types of vigour are distinguished: genetic, physiological and ecological (Heydecker, 1972; Grzesiuk and Górecki, 1981). This classification of vigour indicates its distinct sources, but these forms are inseparable, and ultimately lead to the physiological result of a genetic programme in a changing environment. Currently, there are several tests for determining vigour, but as yet they all relate to seeds (Dąbrowska et al., 2000). They can be divided into three groups: tests based on germination, including the modernized form based on a computer analysis of digital photographs of germinating plants (Sako et al., 2001; Oakley et al., 2004), physiological and biochemical tests (Marcos-Filho, 1998; Carvalho and Marcos-Filho, 2002) and complex tests (Grzywacz and Orzeszko-Rywka, 2007). Since 1950 more than 60 different
tests have been proposed but the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) Committee for Vigour Evaluation concentrated mainly on nine of them (Grzywacz and Orzeszko-Rywka, 2007); that is, growth tests, cold-test, cool-test, complex stress vigour test, Hiltner test, accelerated ageing test, controlled deterioration test, electric conductivity test and tetrazolinum test. At present ISTA is not involved in the standardization of the vegetative forms of seed materials, including potato mother tubers. However, this is a very important issue in agricultural practice because vigour is one of the major factors of potato mother tuber quality. The vigour of seed potatoes depends on their physiological age, thus on their physiological state influenced by chronological age and environmental conditions (Roztropowicz, 1985; Reust, 1986; Van der Zaag and Van Loon, 1987; Rykaczewska, 1993; Struik, 2007). Temperature and storage time, are the most important factors influencing the process of physiological ageing of tubers. Elevating the temperature during the autumn-to-spring storage period will accelerate the ageing process. Seed potatoes become physiologically older the longer the elapsed time since their initiation on the mother plant and the higher the ambient temperature.
Received 5 December 2011. Accepted 16 August 2012. Corresponding author: K. Rykaczewska (
[email protected], fax +48-22-782-6265). Abbreviations: AA, Accelerated Ageing ; ISTA, International Seed Testing Association; NRI, National Research Institute.
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Plant Production Science Vol.16, 2013 Table 1. List of tested cultivars. No. 1
Cultivar Arielle
Maturity type Very early
Year of registration*
Company, country
2006
Agrico, BA, Netherland
2
Berber
Very early
2006
HZPC Netherland B.V.
3
Justa
Very early
2006
HZ Zamarte-Poland
4
Miłek
Very early
2006
HZ Zamarte-Poland
5
Bella Rosa
Early
2006
Europlant, Pflz -Germany
6
Eugenia
Early
2006
HZ Zamarte-Poland
7
Ewelina
Early
2006
Europlant, Pflz-Germany
8
Latona
Early
1997
HZPC Netherland B.V.
9
Oman
Early
2005
HZ Zamarte-Poland
10
Owacja
Early
2006
PMHZ Strzekęcin-Poland
11
Agnes
Medium early
2005
Europlant, Pflz-Germany
12
Benek
Medium early
2006
HZ Zamarte-Poland
13
Elanda
Medium early
2005
HZ Zamarte-Poland
14
Folva
Medium early
2003
Danespo A/S-Denmark
* Registration in the Polish National List of Varieties.
Another factor accelerating this process is darkness (Reust, 1986). As the tubers age, their yield potential changes from initial increase to decrease after reaching the optimum (Perennec and Madec, 1980; Reust, 1982; Rykaczewska, 1993; Struik, 2007). In extreme cases, in which seed potatoes reach a too-advanced stage of development, after being planted in the field, progeny tubers may be produced directly on the mother tuber, without the phase of plant growth and development. Low vigour of seed potatoes may be related with the high temperatures during the growing season, resulting in reduction of their natural rest (Susnoschi, 1981; Reust, 1982; Levy, 1985; Rykaczewska, 2004a, 2004b, 2004c). Low vigour may also be associated with the inability to ensure appropriate conditions during storage (temperature about 3ºC, humidity 95% RH) (Czerko, 2007, 2009), which results in accelerated physiological ageing of tubers, early sprouting becomes common, and sometimes even the formation of small tubers on mother tubers (Rykaczewska, 1993), resulting in reduced vigour of seed tubers. Different vigour may also result from a potato seed of the same cultivar grown in different climatic regions (Reust, 1982). The response of individual cultivars, however, is diverse and is not closely related to the length of the dormancy period or the length of the growing season (Reust and Münster, 1975; Roztropowicz, 1985; Rykaczewska, 1993, 2010a, 2010b). This means that the early cultivars are not always characterized by a rapid rate of physiological ageing of tubers, or the late cultivars by a slow rate of ageing. In this study, we evaluated the physiological vigour of mother tubers of 14 potato cultivars using the method of accelerated ageing (AA) which was established using the
optimal conditions for potato seed storage (Struik and Wiersema, 1999) and conditions conducive to their physiological ageing (Reust, 1986) reported previously. Because the process of physiological ageing of potato tubers is promoted not only by higher temperature and humidity but also by darkness (Reust, 1986), we also investigated the effect of light on seed vigour of the tested cultivars. Materials and Methods The study was conducted in the years 2007/2008, and 2008 /2009 at the Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute in the Research Division at Jadwisin (52º28′44″N and 21º02′38″E). The experimental objects were very early, early and medium early cultivars, a list of which is presented in Table 1. The seed potatoes for the study were produced in the northern region of Poland with the most favourable environmental conditions for their production. In the autumn of each year, just after harvest (October), certified seeds of the cultivars were divided into three batches. One of them was placed in a storage chamber under conditions optimal for seed potato storage (temperature of 3ºC), whereas the other batches were subjected to conditions for accelerated ageing in light or darkness. The procedures for the treatment mother tubers are given in Table 2. Four weeks before planting, the length and mass of sprouts on the tubers from the AADarkness treatment were determined. Just before planting the total number, and the number of sprouting eyes on the tubers from the AA-Light and Control treatments were determined, along with the length of sprouts in all of the combinations. All these measurements were performed on 20 tubers with four replicates each. Planting took place on
173
Rykaczewska――Assessment of Potato Mother Tuber Vigour Table 2. Mother tuber treatments from autumn to planting. Treatment
Procedure
Control
Storage during whole storage period in a chamber under conditions optimal for potato seed (3ºC). Four weeks before the scheduled date of planting, pre-sprouting of mother tubers at the temperature 18ºC and high humidity (RH 85 – 90%)
AA-Light
Pre-sprouting from autumn to planting in light in a chamber under conditions conducive to the physiological ageing of tubers (temperature 18ºC; RH 85 – 90%)
AA-Darkness
Storage from autumn to spring in darkness in a chamber under conditions conducive to the physiological ageing of tubers (temperature 18ºC; RH 85 – 90%). Four weeks before the scheduled date of planting – tubers de-sprouting and next their pre-sprouting in light.
Table 3. Precipitation and air temperature during growing season in the experimental field in the years of study. Year
2008
Meteorological factor
May
June
July
Aug.
Sep.
Precipitation (mm)
62.9
43.5
68.8
80.9
48.8
Deviation from average*(mm)
10.9
– 33.5
– 4.2
18.9
– 2.2
Air temperature (ºC)
13.6
17.1
18.1
17.6
11.6
0.0
0.6
– 0.3
– 0.1
– 1.5
Sielianinov coefficient **
1.64
0.84
1.22
1.48
1.40
Precipitation (mm)
80.8
72.4
85.6
83.1
18.8
Deviation from average*(mm)
27.8
– 3.6
12.6
25.1
– 30.2
Air temperature (ºC)
12.3
17.3
21.3
17.3
14.2
Deviation from average*(ºC)
– 1.3
0.9
2.9
– 0.5
1.1
Sielianinov coefficient **
2.12
1.38
1.28
1.54
0.44
Deviation from average*(ºC)
2009
Month
* Average for 40 years ** Sielianinov hydrothermic coefficient : < 0.5, drought; 0.5 – 1.0, shortage; 1.1 – 2.0, wet; > 2.0, very wet.
April 20th each year in an experimental field, on a poor clayey sand of a good agricultural suitability. The field trials were set up in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. The size of the plots was 7.5 m2, the number of plants per plot was 30 with 75 cm row spacing and 33 cm plant spacing. As a natural fertilizer we used a white mustard (Sinapis alba L.), plowed under after the first frost in autumn. Mineral fertilization was 90 kg N, 39 kg P and 112 kg K ha-1. Crop pests and diseases were controlled as commonly done in the area. In late May, the blanks in the plots were counted and the lack of plant emergence was confirmed by unearthing and examining the mother tubers. The meteorological conditions during the growing seasons are given in Table 3. On the last day of September when the crop cycle was completed, the plants were harvested using a potato elevator digger, without killing the vines. Yield and the relative yield in comparison with the Control were determined and expressed as a percentage. The decrease in yield caused by the AA treatments was used as a measure of the vigour of the mother tubers. A 9-point scale was used to measure the decrease in yield (Table 4). The results of
Table 4. Scale of vigour assessment of potato mother tubers using the method of accelerated ageing (9: the best mark). Decrease in yield as the result of potato mother tubers storage under conditions of AA in relation to the control in %
Scale 1–9
≤0
9
0 – 10
8
10 – 20
7
20 – 30
6
30 – 40
5
40 – 50
4
50 – 60
3
60 – 70
2
70
F
M.S.*
F
Interaction Cultivar × Treatment
Year Pr > F
M.S.*
F
Pr > F
M.S.*
F
Pr > F
Mother tubers: 9921
36.86
