Effects of different rapid propagation methods on phenotype of virus-free potato seedlings and yield of minituber

<bold>Objective</bold> This study aims to explore the effect of rapid propagation through the traditional tissue culture method and the hydroponic method on phenotype of virus-free potato seedlings and the yield and economic benefit of the minituber，thus providing a reliable experimental basis and scientific basis for improving the production efficiency of potato minituber. <bold>Method</bold> Two commercial potato varieties，the early maturing variety ‘Gan Ying 9’ （GY9）and the late maturing variety ‘Atlantic Ocean’（ATL），were selected.The phenotypes of the tissue culture seedlings and the first to third generation hydroponic seedlings at the rapid propagation stage and the planting stage，the minituber yield and economic benefits were compared. <bold>Result</bold> （1）At the rapid propagation stage，the plant height and root number of GY9 and ATL hydroponic seedlings are significantly higher than those of tissue culture seedlings at 13 d.（2）In the planting period，for GY9 and ATL，the plant height and chlorophyll content of hydroponic seedlings are significantly higher than those of tissue culture seedlings after 45 days of planting；After 80 days of planting，the accumulation of above ground and underground dry matter is significantly higher than that in tissue culture seedlings.The number of qualified potato minituber per plant of the second generation hydroponic seedlings is significantly higher than that of tissue culture.（3）For GY9，the number of potato minituber per plant is significantly and positively correlated with plant height，root length and underground dry matter accumulation at rapid propagation stage.For ATL，the number of potato minituber plants per plant is positively correlated with plant height，stem diameter，root number，chlorophyll content and underground dry matter accumulation in rapid propagation stage.（4）There is no significant difference between GY9 and ATL hydroponic seedlings in total minituber yield compared with that of the tissue culture，but their effective tuber yield and economic benefits are significantly improved，and the second-generation hydroponic seedlings achieved the highest economic returns. <bold>Conclusion</bold> Second-generation hydroponic potato seedlings exhibit rapid growth，low production costs，and short growth cycles，resulting in the highest effective tuber yield for pre-basic seeds and the best economic returns，which can be recommended for adoption in the production of potato pre-basic seeds.