PRODUCTION BEHAVIOR OF IN VITRO PLANTLETS AND MINI-TUBERS OF IRISH POTATO

摘要

In Rwanda, the challenge of quality seed production continues to be a serious issue due to the insufficient number of greenhouses for the production of potato mini-tubers in required quantity for further multiplications. One plausible solution to greenhouses insufficiency is to adopt the cultivation of in vitro plantlets directly under field conditions in order to produce large quantity of quality basic seeds. Thus this study was conducted for two seasons with an objective to compare the production behavior of in vitro plantlets and mini-tubers Mini-tubers produced more height than plantlets compared to plantlets. However, in vitro plantlets produced 135 % more tubers (99 tubers / m2) than mini-tubers (42 tubers / m~2). Planting at a of 80 cm x 10 cm recorded higher number of seed tubers per plant and per m2 an. Based on the findings of present study the use of in vitro plantlets in open field appears promising in Rwanda.