Plant development in potato

The potato is a complex plant. Above-ground it consists of a constellation of stems when grown from a seed tuber, but there is only one stem per seedling grown from true potato seed. Individual stems from both types of starting material can branch below-ground, above-ground at the base of the stem, and by apical branching at the top thus forming a sympodium consisting of stem segments, each ending in an inflorescence. Plants from true seed can branch profusely at the base giving them a bushy appearance. Below-ground branches can develop into stolons that may also branch and can produce several tuber sites and finally tubers. Early leaves are small but later appearing leaves can reach large sizes and are compound. They are imparipinnate with small leaflets between larger pinnae and with the rachis ending in one final top leaflet. This chapter describes in detail the development of the shoot system, the leaves and canopy, the stolon system, the tuber system, the inflorescence structure, and the (relatively weak) root system. It stresses the different fates of tuber incipients and tubers, the relations between above-ground and below-ground development, and the influence of propagule type and physiological age of seed tubers on plant and crop development.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	Struik, P.C.
Format:	Part of book or chapter of book biblioteca
Language:	English
Published:	Elsevier
Subjects:	Life Science,
Online Access:	https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/plant-development-in-potato
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