Abstract
Control of tuber dormancy is of interest for commercial potato production and for germplasm preservation in the genebank. Solanum jamesii plants were collected by the author from the wild in New Mexico and Arizona, USA in 1998 and grown in the greenhouse. Tubers harvested in 1999 were placed in paper bags in a continuous 40°F (5°C) tuber storage cooler. No sprouting was observed through fall of 2007 but some tubers had shriveled. Firm tubers were moved to room temperature and planted in the greenhouse in January 2008. After 3 months, an average of nearly 50% of tubers had sprouted and produced normal plants. This extreme 8 year tuber dormancy in S. jamesii should be a valuable research tool for study of dormancy physiology in potato.
Resumen
El control de la dormancia del tubérculo es de interés para la producción comercial de papa y para la preservación de germoplasma en el banco genético. Se colectaron plantas de Solanum jamesii por el autor en los ambientes naturales de Nuevo México y Arizona, EUA, en 1998 y se cultivaron en invernadero. A los tubérculos que se cosecharon en 1999 se les metió a bolsas de plástico en un almacén de tubérculos con frío continuo a 40°F (5°C). No se observó brotación a lo largo del otoño del 2007 pero algunos tubérculos se habían deshidratado. Se pasaron tubérculos firmes a temperatura ambiente y se plantaron en el invernadero en enero de 2008. Después de tres meses un promedio cercano al 50% había brotado y producido plantas normales. Esta dormancia extrema de tubérculo de ocho años en S. jamesii pudiera ser una herramienta de investigación valiosa para el estudio de la fisiología de la dormancia en papa.
References
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Acknowledgement
Collectors for stocks shown in Table 1 (in addition to the author): Ben Bamberg for collections 59–71; Charles J. Fernandez, Max W. Martin, and Joseph J. Pavek for others. The technical assistance of Adele Douglass is gratefully recognized.
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Bamberg, J.B. Tuber Dormancy Lasting Eight Years in the Wild Potato Solanum jamesii . Am. J. Pot Res 87, 226–228 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12230-009-9124-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12230-009-9124-9