Potencial produtivo da cultura da batata proveniente de minitubérculos e microtubérculos aeropônicos

Abstract

The potato (Solanum tuberosum L. subsp. Tuberosum) is a vegetable of great relevance and commonly propagated in a vegetative way, using the tuber itself which is called seed potato, being an input of substantial importance. Successive propagations in the field cause seed potato degeneration, reducing its productive potential. In this context, multiplication methods in a protected environment have increased speed and mitigated degeneration. Among the various methods, aeroponics has been showing high efficiency in production. However, the available literature is not yet conclusive regarding the productive potential of sizes and masses. of seed potatoes. For this reason, the objective of this study was to measure the productive potential of the potato crop, Atlantic cultivar, from aeroponic seed potatoes of different sizes and masses, and also of those multiplied in the field. Experiments I and II, consisted of 7 treatments classified according to the masses of seed potatoes. Both experiments were arranged in a randomized block design, with 4 replications, totaling 28 experimental units, with a spacing of 80 cm between rows and 15 cm between plants in the row, with a planting depth of 3 cm. In experiment I, no significant differences were found for the variables emergence speed index (IVE) and plant height at 50 and 81 days after planting (AP 50 DAP and AP 81 DAP), when seed potatoes with masses from 7 to 50 g; number of stems per tuber (NHT) from seed potatoes with masses from 5 to 50 g; number of tubers per plant (NTP) from seed potatoes with masses from 1 to 50 g. The tuber mass per plant (MTP) and productivity (PROD) decreased considerably when seed potatoes with masses below 15 g were used. In experiment II, no significant differences were found for the IVE variables when using aeroponic seed potatoes with masses between 7 and 50 g; AP 50 DAP in plants from aeroponic seed potatoes with masses from 5 to 50 g; NHT from aeroponic seed potatoes with masses from 25 to 50 g and 7 to 25 g, and between microtubers with masses <1g and first generation tubers (G1) with masses from 25 to 50 g; For the MTP variable, the significant difference was found when using minitubers with masses from 1 to 5 g and microtubers with masses <1 g, between aeroponic seed potatoes with masses from 25 to 50 and 5 to 15 g, no significant differences were found. Productivity was better when using aeroponic seed potatoes with masses of 5 to 15 g and 25 to 50 g, as they did not present significant differences. Microtubers (0.5 to 1.0 g and <0.5 g - experiment I; <1.0 g - experiment II) from aeroponics significantly reduced the development of the potato cultivar Atlantic, and consequently its productivity, as well as the G1 tubers that suffered degeneration in the first propagations to the field. The smallest size of seed potatoes that is safe for the producer, and that guarantees an adequate tillage establishment and consequently good productivity are the minitubers with masses from 5 to 7 g, therefore, more studies must be carried out so that the minitubers <5 g and microtubers can be used by producers with safety.