Variability of Dutch potato varieties under various agroecological conditions in Serbia

Abstract

The study presents results of a three-year experiment of variability of different Dutch potato varieties in Serbia: Adora and Cleopatra (early), Innovator and Frisia (medium-early) and Desiree and Kondor (medium-late). The research was conducted during 2008, 2009 and 2010, in three different soil and climatic locations: Zemun (100 m a.s.l.), Srbobran (86 m a.s.l.) and Guca (370 m a.s.l.). The four-repplicate field trials were set up using standard methodology according to the random block desing. The analysis of variance suggest that number of tubers per plant, number of market tubers per plant and total tuber yield were significantly fluctuating depending on genotype (G), year (Y) and the location (L). In addition to individual influences of different factors, their interactions were also pronounced (G x Y, G x L, Y x L, G x Y x L). In the three-year period average, the highest total yield was recorded in Zemun (35.80 t ha. 1), followed by Guca (29.32 t ha.(-1)), while the lowest average yield recorded was in Srbobran (27.38 t ha.(-1)). The highest average yield of tubers in the three-year period was recorded in the Cleopatra variety, followed by Adora variety, while the lowest average yield was recorded in the variety Frisia. Obtained results show that the highest yields over observed locations were recorded in early varieties that formed medium number of tubers per plant (Cleopatra and Adora) and medium late varieties (Desiree and Kondor) that expressed good resistance to high air temperatures and stress caused by drought.