Effects of Age of In Vitro-Derived Potato Plantlets on Early Above- and Below-Ground Development After Planting in Different Cultivars

Abstract In vitro-propagated potato plantlets are commonly used in seed tuber production. Four experiments were carried out to identify how the duration of last vitro phase (‘age’) before planting vitro-produced affects early growth and development ex vitro, assessed 10–14 days after planting. Experiments included varying ranges age at (10–40, 15–45, 14–28 14–56 old moment respective experiments) different cultivars. Because plantlet size increases with age, first experiment studied interactions between method. Planting ‘deep’ (the upper four visible leaves above ground) seemed more robust than ‘shallow’ (all nodes/leaves ground except lowest two), later experiments, only deep was applied. Across plants grown from younger had smaller leaf areas those older plantlets. The increase area levelled off increasing used, especially when c. 28 days. Larger related having higher absolute rates a larger above-ground planting, even though kept all treatments. Below ground, stem nodes, initiated stolons earlier per plant. Tuber initiation rarely occurred within 14 but observed some 42- 56-day-old very cultivar Gloria single plant mid-early Bintje. data show that can enhance growth. Plants also readily initiate below may be advanced formation process,