In vitro tuberisation of potato: the interaction of ancymidol and photoperiod

Summary Ancymidol-induced in vitro tuberisation under different photoperiodic regimes (dark, SD=8 h, LD=16 h) and sucrose concentrations (2, 4, 6 and 8%) in cv. Jaerla (early) and cv. Baraka (late) was studied. Tuberisation was scored after 4 (dark) or 8 (light) weeks. Ancymidol significantly increased tuberisation under LD-SD for any sucrose concentration in both cultivars. Ancymidol also significantly increased tuberisation under LD-dark for 6% sucrose in both cultivars. Tuberisation in cv. Jaerla was significantly higher than in cv. Baraka for any photoperiodic treatment in the presence or absence of ancymidol with 4, 6 or 8% sucrose. The photoperiod SD-SD resulted in the higher level of tuberisation for any combination of sucrose, cultivar and ancymidol. The possible role of ancymidol is discussed.