RESPONSE OF SIX TRUE POTATO SEEDS GENOTYPES TO GA3 IN GERMINATION AND YIELD CHARACTERS OF MINI-TUBERS PRODUCED.

Potato multiplication with seeds reduces the costs of agriculture, environmental damage resulting from the use of pesticides to maintain seeds and helps to produce seeds resistant to viral diseases. However, low seed germination rate of some varieties can considerably limit the production of potatoes in this way. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of soaking seeds of six potato strain in different concentrations of gibberellin on germination rate and characters of yielded mini-tubers. Potato seeds of all strain (imported ID, MST186-1Y, MSL211, MSV093-1 and MSS927-01 and the local comparison cultivar Burren) were soaked in gibberellin at three concentration levels (0, 500 or 1000 mg/L). The seeds were then dried and planted in cork dishes inside the greenhouse. At stage of two true leafs, the seedlings were transferred to 4 kg pots containing field soil and peat moss at 3:1 ratio. Pots were distributed based on RCBD with four replicates and five pots per experimental unit. The results of the study showed that the treatment of potato seeds with gibberellin had a significant effect in increasing the rate and speed of germination and the number and weight of tubers produced. In general, the highest concentration of gibberellin (1000 mg / L) was more effective than the lowest concentration and significantly differed from the distilled water treatment. All the values of the studied traits were affected by plant cultivar. The ID cultivar recorded highest values in germination ratio, number and weight of tubers. The strain did not differ in germination speed although MSL211 gave the highest rate of germination speed among all treatments and with only significant difference from the lowest rate recorded in the comparison cultivar Borin. Interaction of gibberellin treatment and potato cultivar was always effective in increasing all the tested traits over the untreated control. Findings of this study showed successful production of potato mini-tubers from potato seeds in case of Iraqi field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]