Some sprouting characteristics of microtubers

Microtubers can be stared longer, transported and handled easier than plant lets, but they have some disadvantages related to long dormancy. Dormancy, number of sprouts per tuber and loss of microtubers under different storage temperatures were studied. Microtubers of four genotypes originated from d ifferent tuberization treatments (photoperiod combinations) were observed. We found that dormancy depended on cultivar and - in some cases on the phot operiod treatment applied during tuberization. Generally, the dormacy was l ong and was greatly elongated by low storage temperature. One of the photop eriod treatments shortened while the other treatment prolonged the rest-per iod compared to the control, maybe due to a change in temperature accompany ing the change in daily light (photoperiod combination). Besides, these tre atments affected the number of sprouts per tuber. There was no significant difference in duration of dormancy between different tuber-size groups, but the loss increased significantly with a decrease in tuber size. Based on t his information we can use microtubers more effectively in the seed potato production programme.