Results of testing new potato varieties for their further inclusion in the seed production process in the conditions of the northern Steppe of Ukraine

Abstract

Рurpose of the work was to establish the produc- tive indicators and susceptibility to viral diseases of new potato varieties imported from another agroclimatic zone of Ukraine, for their further inclusion in the seed production process in the conditions of the northern Steppe of Ukraine.Methods. The research was conducted by setting up a field experiment in the laboratory of bioadaptive technologies in the Agricultural Research Center in the scientific crop rota- tion of the Institute of Steppe Agriculture of the NAAS.The experiment uses seed material of modern potato varieties imported from the Institute of Potato Growing of the NAAS.The predecessor is spring barley. Agricultural technol- ogy is generally accepted for this zone, with the exception of the methods being studied.Results. The weather conditions of the research period were characterized by an increased temperature regime against the background of the absence of effective precip- itation. During the potato growing season in 2023, 168.0 mm of precipitation fell, in 2024 – 55.6 mm with an average multi-year value of 231.0 mm.During the production test in 2023, the germination rate of potato varieties ranged from 41.2% (Mystery) to 89.2% (Zhytnytsia). In the remaining varieties, it was within 61.8–85.3%. In 2024, this rate was significantly lower for most varieties than for the material imported in 2023. The germination rate of tubers ranged from 31.5% (early-rip- ening variety Serpanok) to 62.1% (mid-ripening variety Knyahynya).On average over the years of research, the yield of potato tubers of medium-early varieties was 9.84 t/ha, com- pared to 8.66 t/ha in the early group and 7.60 t/ha in the mid-ripening group.On average, in 2023–2024, the highest yield of potato seed tubers was formed by varieties of the mid-early ripen- ing group – 3.62 t/ha, which is 1.5 t/ha (41.4%) less than the mid-ripening group and 1.55 t/ha (42.8%) than early-ripen- ing varieties.A visual assessment of potato plantings showed that the infection with viral diseases in imported potato varieties from another soil and climatic zone was quite insignificant – from 0.7% (Skarbnytsia) to 2.7% (Povin). In other varieties studied, wrinkled mosaic was not detected.Conclusions. According to the results of ecological testing of potato varieties imported from the northern Forest- Steppe zone of Ukraine, it was found that the varieties Shchedryk, Skarbnytsia (early maturity group, Myroslava (mid-ripening maturity group) and Fotiniya (mid-ripening group) are the most adapted to the conditions of the north- ern Steppe among those listed.