THE EFFECTIVENESS OF IMPROVING PLANT SELECTION IN OBTAINING POTATO MINITUBERS

Abstract

The results of improving selection of the early ripeness potato plants varieties - the Red Scarlett, the Latona, the Impala in the original seed production of the culture are presented. During two years of research, visual evaluation of the best progenies by the number and weight of tubers correspondes to the results of their selection using cluster and step-by-step discriminant analyses by 35.3%. 50.0. and 62.5%. In the studied varieties, improving selection based on visual diagnostics contributes to obtaining more fruitful progenies with the average tubers weight of 73.5–147.1 g and a large fraction tubers with 67.7–103.7 g per plant. Additionally, the above mentioned methods of multivariate statistical analysis made it possible to identify the progenies of the Red Scarlett and the Impala varieties with increased weights of medium (105.9 - 155.4 g) and large (93.9 - 136.2 g) fractions, and the Latona varieties - of all the three fractions (96, 0 - 165.0 g). These progenies have a potential for more efficient management of the original potato seed production.