Effect of Seed Potato Size on Plug Seedling Growth and Field Performance

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 g were planted in plug trays with vermiculite-based root medium on 10 August 2000 and grown for 15 days in a glasshouse to determine the effects of mini-tuber size on plug seedling growth and field performance of plug seedlings. For a control, common potato tubers weighing 50 g were also planted. As size of seed tubers planted increased from 10 to 50 g, seedling height decreased from 24.6 to 20.0cm while shoot number per seedling increased from 2.0 to 3.5, main stem diameter from 4.3 to 6.1mm, and fresh weight of root + top from 9.3 to 19.4 g/seedling. At 90 days after transplanting plug seedlings, the total number of tubers per plant increased from 3.62 to 4.72, average tuber weight from 62.9 to 72.8g, and total tuber yield 20.5 to 23.6 t/ha with increase in seed tuber size. Plug seedlings raised from 50g tubers produced 22% more tubers per plant and had 21 % higher＞80g tuber yield than the directly planted potatoes.