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<p>High production costs, compounded by low multiplication rates of early generation seed (EGS), make certified seed unaffordable for many farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Rooted apical cuttings (RACs) offer a scalable alternative, but their success depends on the sustained vigour of tissue culture (TC)-derived mother plants. This study evaluated the productivity of TC mother and submother plants over successive cutting rounds across four potato cultivars: Shangi (used as a check), Wanjiku, Unica, and Taurus, under both warm and cool season conditions. TC mothers were derived from tissue culture, and the first cut from each was used to produce submothers. Subsequent cuts from the submothers were rooted to generate RACs for field trials, where yield (t/ha) and tuber number per plant were assessed. A full cycle included up to 11 cutting rounds over 6 months in a controlled greenhouse environment. Mother plant vigour, chlorophyll content, leaf composition, node number, and internode length were tracked to characterize physiological age and were related to RAC performance via principal component analysis (PCA). Submothers matched the cutting yield of TC mothers, effectively doubling total output from 13–47 cuttings per cycle with mothers alone to 27–95 when combined with their submothers. Cutting rates ranged from 1.3 to 4.7 per mother, depending on cultivar and season, with Shangi consistently showing the highest rates. Field tuber yields (12–26 t/ha) and numbers (7–19 tubers per plant) were positively associated with key mother plant traits. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed strong loadings for vigour (loading = 0.75), node number (0.58), internode length (0.53), and chlorophyll content (0.68), all of which served as indicators of physiological juvenility. These traits were significantly influenced by cultivar, with Taurus not withstanding repeated cutting pressure beyond the sixth round (attained in 4 months). For other cultivars, production continued over the 6 months, with these traits remaining juvenile, underscoring that RAC productivity is driven by maternal physiological age, not chronological age. To scale RAC technology, a dual strategy is needed: breeding cultivars with lasting juvenile traits and redesigning propagation systems to prioritize physiological rather than chronological plant status, optimizing RAC systems for year-round seed production, and enhancing seed potato supply chain resilience.</p>

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Potato Rooted Apical Cuttings’ Productivity is Shaped by Mother Plant Physiological Age and Environment, Not Chronological Age

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月13日

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  • S. Nyawade,
  • E. Atieno,
  • M. Parker,
  • K. Sharma

摘要

High production costs, compounded by low multiplication rates of early generation seed (EGS), make certified seed unaffordable for many farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Rooted apical cuttings (RACs) offer a scalable alternative, but their success depends on the sustained vigour of tissue culture (TC)-derived mother plants. This study evaluated the productivity of TC mother and submother plants over successive cutting rounds across four potato cultivars: Shangi (used as a check), Wanjiku, Unica, and Taurus, under both warm and cool season conditions. TC mothers were derived from tissue culture, and the first cut from each was used to produce submothers. Subsequent cuts from the submothers were rooted to generate RACs for field trials, where yield (t/ha) and tuber number per plant were assessed. A full cycle included up to 11 cutting rounds over 6 months in a controlled greenhouse environment. Mother plant vigour, chlorophyll content, leaf composition, node number, and internode length were tracked to characterize physiological age and were related to RAC performance via principal component analysis (PCA). Submothers matched the cutting yield of TC mothers, effectively doubling total output from 13–47 cuttings per cycle with mothers alone to 27–95 when combined with their submothers. Cutting rates ranged from 1.3 to 4.7 per mother, depending on cultivar and season, with Shangi consistently showing the highest rates. Field tuber yields (12–26 t/ha) and numbers (7–19 tubers per plant) were positively associated with key mother plant traits. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed strong loadings for vigour (loading = 0.75), node number (0.58), internode length (0.53), and chlorophyll content (0.68), all of which served as indicators of physiological juvenility. These traits were significantly influenced by cultivar, with Taurus not withstanding repeated cutting pressure beyond the sixth round (attained in 4 months). For other cultivars, production continued over the 6 months, with these traits remaining juvenile, underscoring that RAC productivity is driven by maternal physiological age, not chronological age. To scale RAC technology, a dual strategy is needed: breeding cultivars with lasting juvenile traits and redesigning propagation systems to prioritize physiological rather than chronological plant status, optimizing RAC systems for year-round seed production, and enhancing seed potato supply chain resilience.