Effect of second growth on the quality of tubers as seed in the cultivar Record

Summary Seed quality in a crop harvested in 1984 was compared in tubers which either, (a) were unsprouted prior to harvest (normal), (b) had formed secondary chain tubers prior to harvest (primary), (c) secondary chain tubers. Normal and primary tubers formed substantial sprout growth during storage, while there was little sprout growth from secondary tubers. Plants derived from these seed tuber types differed, in terms of emergence, number of emerged stems, and tuber number. It is concluded that the tuber types can be considered to vary in terms of physiological age; normal and primary tubers appear to be physiologically older than the secondary tubers. This variability in seed condition can lead to variability in the performance of the subsequent crop.