Production of seed tubers from true potato seed in Jos- Plateau, Nigeria

Abstract

An experiment was carried out to evaluate the growth of seedling tubers produced from true potato seed (TPS) for selection of superior clones to produce seed tubers in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. A completely randomised design (CRD) was used. The treatment consisted of 15 seed tuber clones produced from TPS and replicated 3 times; each replicate consisted of five plant stands. The parameters assessed included establishment rate, number of above-ground stems per plant, number of leaves per plant, mean plant height, mean number of tubers, mean tuber weight and dry matter content. Generally, the clones varied significantly in all the vegetative and yield parameters assessed. Clones 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 11 had a significantly higher number of tubers than clone 10. Clone 1 had the highest mean tuber weight while clone 4 had the least. Clone 10 which had the lowest number of tubers resulted in the highest dry matter. It is concluded that clones 1,2,3,5,6,7 and 11 can be selected for high multiplication ratio, yield and dry matter content.