Enhancing Seed Potato Production from In Vitro Plantlets and Microtubers through Biofertilizer Application: Investigating Effects on Plant Growth, Tuber Yield, Size, and Quality

Abstract

Seed potato production often relies on mineral fertilizers. However, biofertilizers offer an eco-friendly, cost-effective means to enhance nutrient uptake, plant growth, yields, and quality while bolstering stress resilience. Two cultivars (‘Spunta’ and ‘Russet’), two in vitro materials as microtubers and plantlets, and four bio-fertilizers were used to produce seed minitubers. These bio-fertilizers included mycorrhiza (T2), microalgae (T3), beneficial bacteria (PGPR) (T4), and vermicompost (T5). Treatment T1, which received 100% mineral nutrients, was used as the control, while the bio-fertilizers were given 40% of the mineral nutrition relative to the control. The study clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of the biofertilizers used in improving plant growth parameters, particularly highlighting the efficacy of vermicompost. The highest seed tuber yield of 173.12 g was obtained from the combination of ‘Spunta’ + microtuber + vermicompost’. In both varieties, in vitro microtubers led to a higher seed yield than in vitro plantlets. In terms of tuber diameter, tuber weight, and tuber number, the performance of the ‘Spunta’ cultivar was significantly higher than that of the ‘Russet’ cultivar. Seed tubers derived from in vitro microtubers had a larger diameter and were heavier than those derived from in vitro plantlets. However, seed tubers produced from in vitro plantlets were of a smaller size but more in number. In in vitro potato seed tuber production, we recommend the use of ‘Spunta’ cultivar and in vitro microtuber, supplementing with vermicompost to enhance yield, size, number curbing costs, and eco-friendliness.

Enhancing the Yield, Quality and Antioxidant Content of Lettuce through Innovative and Eco-Friendly Biofertilizer Practices in Hydroponics

“…Consequently, this phenomenon led to the promotion of the plant growth and yield. An efficient photosynthetic organ, the increasing leaf area by the biofertilizers likely contributed to the generation of additional plant carbohydrates [31,55]. In the hydroponic cultivation of baby spinach and basil, it was reported that there were increases in leaf area when synthetic mineral fertilizers were reduced by 50% and biofertilizers were employed [23,24].…”

“…Naturally, bio-fertilizers consist of various strains of fungi and bacteria, intending to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers in various applications [31]. Bio-fertilizers enhance plant growth, including increasing the number of leaves, leaf area, length, shoot fresh and dry weight and root fresh and dry weight [32][33][34].…”