Growth, yield and dormancy of aeroponically produced potato minitubers as a function of planting density and harvesting date

ABSTRACT Potato seed is one of the largest costs a crop. This mostly due to incidence and spread viruses that occurs when crop grown in open field. Thus, it necessary obtain virus-free potato plantlets through meristem isolation, with subsequent cultivation protected environment, where easier control virus-spreading insects. One way increase greenhouse viability by multiplicating using high technology systems, among them, aeroponics. The objective this work was determine effect planting density on growth yield plants cv. Agata aeroponic cultivation, harvesting dates densities dormancy harvested minitubers. number stems, leaves, fresh weight minitubers/plant reduced increased from 60 180 plants/m2. However, initiated minitubers, minitubers/m2 maximum type III minitubers (>30 mm) 613/m2, obtained at Plant did not affect but date did. Minitubers latter had shorter period. 78 64 days after transplanting sprouted 21 seven earlier than those picked 50 transplanting.