Effects of pit, dark and cold pre-storage treatments and their duration on dormancy breaking and sprouting of seed potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.)
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Date
2008Author
Menza, Mwalimu K
Shibairo, Solomon I
Nyankanga, Richard O
Demo, Paul
Kabira, Jackson N
Gildemacher, Peter
Type
Working PaperLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Potato is the second most important food crop after maize in Kenya. In the traditional areas of
potato production with a bimodal rainfall pattern in the country, poor sprouting, due to seed tuber
dormancy, is a major drawback. There is little time between growing seasons to permit adequate
sprouting of the seed tubers. Therefore, effects of pit, dark and cold pre-storage treatments and
their duration on dormancy breaking and sprouting of seed potato tubers of variety Asante were
determined. Tubers were evaluated for sprouting, number of sprouts per tuber and sprout vigor
for 12 weeks. Pit and dark pre-storage treatments resulted in significantly higher sprouting,
number of sprouts per tuber and vigor scores than cold pre-storage treatment and the control
(diffused light storage). 100% sprouting of seed potato tubers was attained under pit storage by
the fourth week for all pre-storage treatment durations while dormancy ended after 6 weeks of
storage in the control. Sprouting was suppressed during cold pre-storage treatment. In pit and
dark pre-storage treatments, vigor scores increased with increasing duration of pre-storage
treatment while in the cold, vigor scores were reduced with longer pre-storage treatment
duration. Pit and dark pre-storage treatments for short durations of up to one week respectively
followed by two weeks of diffused light storage are recommended to break dormancy and
promote sprouting of good quality seed potato tubers of Asante variety.
Citation
Mwalimu K. Menza , Solomon I. Shibairo, Richard O. Nyankanga et al (2008). Effects of pit, dark and cold pre-storage treatments and their duration on dormancy breaking and sprouting of seed potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.)Publisher
Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, National Horticultural Research Center, Thika, Kenya Plant Science and Crop Protection Department, University of Nairobi International Potato Centre, Sub-Sahara Region, Nairobi, Kenya Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, National Potato Research Center, Limuru, Kenya
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- Faculty of Agriculture [224]