Micropropagated potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plantlets are routinely used for producing specific pathogen tested minitubers in the Canadian seed tuber certification industry. In vitro hardening methods for micropropagated 'Norland' were investigated, involving full and half strength Murashige and Skoog (1962) based propagation medium supplemented with NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, polyethyleneglycol, or paclobutrazol. Ten different media treatments were compared for their effect on stomatal function and early transplant performance using porometry, microscopy, and direct ex vitro transplanting. PEG, NaCl and 1/2 MS + 3 mM Ca treatments did lead to decreased leaf water losses. However, these treatments did not improve ex vitro transplant performance compared to controls. Minituber production was investigated using ex vitro plantlets in a rockwool-based hydroponic system. Productivity was evaluated for treatments involving photoperiod pretreatment, planting orientation, planting density, and hilling. No difference in total yield was detected when plantlets were exposed to 12 compared with 16 hour photoperiod pretreatments. However, short photoperiod pretreatment increased the number of minitubers in the most desirable size range. Increased planting density reduced yield per plant. However, small increases in yield per m2 occurred with increased planting density. Hilling, pinching, and planting orientation had no effect upon minituber size, number, or overall fresh weight yield. Significant differences in minituber yield occurred in field experiments. Larger minitubers (10--40 g) had larger yields compared with smaller minitubers (1--5 g). These results will contribute to improved minituber production technology for the Canadian certified potato seed tuber industry.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.21598 |
| Date | January 1999 |
| Creators | Lowe, Robert, 1961- |
| Contributors | Donnelly, Danielle (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Department of Plant Science.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001657788, proquestno: MQ50825, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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