Early generation seed starter materials and approaches to seed production: Challenge for improving the potato seed system in Uganda

Abstract

Quality seed is one of the key inputs for increasing potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) productivity; however, its limited availability is widely recognized as a major constraint to potato production. In Uganda, certified seed production meets approximately 1.5% of effective demand implying most farmers use home‐saved seed. This practice encourages the buildup of degenerative seed‐borne diseases which ultimately affect productivity. Consequently, a study was conducted to determine the productivity of different seed potato production starting stock: tissue culture plantlets (TC) and rooted apical cuttings. Fifty plants of two potato varieties, NAROPOT1 and NAROPOT4, and for each starter material were evaluated both in the field and screen house for two seasons at Kachwekano and Karengyere research stations. Data were collected on the number of tubers per plant and tuber weight. Highly significant differences were observed for the type of starter materials and varieties for the number of tubers per plant (p ≤ 0.001) from both the screen house and field environments. More tubers per plant were obtained from TC for both varieties and the highest recorded was (24.5) for NAROPOT4 and (15.5) for NAROPOT1 in the screen house. Tuber weight was higher from rooted apical cuttings for both varieties NAROPOT1 (153.3 g) and NAROPOT4 (167.7 g). The correlation between the number of tubers per plant and weight was highly significant at p ≤ 0.001. Tissue culture raised plants were more productive in terms of tuber, and numbers are more important in seed production than weight and mini‐tuber production can be done by farmers under affordable conditions.

Harnessing potato and sweetpotato innovations for resilient and healthier agri‐food systems in Africa

“…The authors showed promising results in terms of cost reduction compared to conventional minitubers and concluded that the current challenge is to build demand for this approach and educate downstream multipliers on the technique. In Uganda, results from Namugga et al (2024) indicated that for the two potato varieties studied, plants whose origin was tissue culture raised plantlets were more productive in terms of the number of tubers produced than when the source was apical cuttings, but average weight per tuber produced was higher from the apical cutting source.…”

High-Temperature Effect on Plant Development and Tuber Induction and Filling in Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

“…As a vegetative reproductive organ, part of its physiological development in the plant and post-harvest, the tuber goes through a state of rest or dormancy, a period of relative inactivity before sprout formation. The latency period is characteristic of each variety, and its duration is crucial for planting [18]. This period ends with the initiation of the first sprout's growth.…”