Improvement of agrotechnical methods in elite potato seed production

As a result of the conducted studies, the degree of influence of various agrotechnical methods on potato seed production, contributing to an increase in the seed marketability of tubers in nurseries of elite potato seed production, was identified. Field studies were carried out in 2018-2019 at the experimental field of the Omsk Agrarian Scientific Center. It was found that, depending on weather conditions, the total number of tubers increases until the end of July, and then remains unchanged. However, there is a significant increase in the mass of tubers almost until the very harvest. Early mowing of tops - 14 days before harvesting - showed the greatest effect for the early maturing Alena variety. For the mid-ripening variety Bylina Sibiri, a later period for the mowing of tops - 7 days before harvesting - contributed to an increase in the productivity of the crop and the yield of seed tubers. The highest yield of seed tubers in the early maturing variety Alena is observed in the option with early mowing of the tops and thickened planting with 254 thousand pieces/ha. The Alena variety is distinguished by a small number of tubers in the bush, but also by an intensive accumulation of marketable yield in the early stages. When taking into account the yield with the early mowing of tops, there were on average 6.8 tubers per bush, of which 4.2 turned out to be the seed fraction. A delay in the removal of tops by 7 days leads to an overgrowth of tubers and a decrease in the seed fraction in the crop to 3.2 pcs/bush. By extension, the total yield of seed tubers per hectare is significantly reduced to 125 thousand pieces. Mowing tops in earlier periods resulted in a reduced degree of plant damage by alternaria, viral diseases and tuber rhizoctonia by 1.5-2 times.