Production of G0 ‘Median' Potato Seeds by Stolons Induction Through Pruning, Nitrogen and Cytokinin Application

Abstract

Background and Objective: The use of pruning, nitrogen and cytokinin application to regulate plant growth and yield. The induction of stolon in potato plants is aimed to increase the number of tubers. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of pruning, cytokinin and nitrogen application on stolon induction, growth and yield of G0 potato tuber (Solanum tuberosum L.) cv. Median in the medium-altitude land. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out at the screenhouse of Rancabango village, Tarogong Kaler Subdistrict, Garut District, West Java Province, Indonesia (700 m above sea levels). This study is arranged in split-plot design, with 2 factors, 12 combination treatments and 3 replications. The 1st factor was the pruning (P) consisted of 3 levels, i.e., no pruning (P0), pruned at 20 DAP (P1), pruned at 30 DAP (P2). The 2nd factor was the cytokinin and nitrogen application (H) that consisted of 4 levels, i.e., control (H0), 50 ppm cytokinin (H1), 100% nitrogen ZA (H2), 50 ppm cytokinin+100% nitrogen ZA (H3). Results: The results showed that there was an interaction effect between pruning, nitrogen and cytokinin on growth variables, such as leaf area, stomatal conductance, photosynthetic rate and production variables, such as number of stolons, percentage of stolons, number of tubers per plant, tuber weight per plant and plant dry weight. Conclusion: Pruning at 30 DAP combined with cytokinin and nitrogen application produced the best result, for about 9.33 tubers per plant.