COMPARISON OF OLD AND NEW CLONES OF POTATO NUCLEAR SEED STOCKS FOR TUBER UNIFORMITY IN THE GREENHOUSE

Abstract

The plantlets of old and new clones micropropagated from nuclear seed stocks were grown in the greenhouse to compare their tuber uniformity. The old and new clones nested in cultivars Agria, Hermes and Granola, were grown in Completely Randomized Plots design in the fall, 2012 and in the winter, 2013. The tuber characteristics were measured and the standard analyses of variance technique were applied and the regression coefficients of the means of new clones on the means of the old clones were estimated for tuber number, single tuber weight (g), single plant yield (g), plot yield (g), tuber width and tuber length. The F values for the clone type and clone were non significant indicating the uniformity of the means of the old and new clones. In addition, the b values of the regression of the means of the new clones on the means of the old clones were found to be equal to 1 supporting the hypothesis of the uniformity of the old clones and new clones for tuber characteristics.