INTRODUCTION

The use of true potato (TPS) seed for potato production has been considered a good alternative to seed tubers, since it minimizes the transmission of viruses and other pathogens. Using TPS also means that the total crop is available for consumption and consequently potatoes are grown at a relatively lower cost. In addition, storage and transfer of TPS is generally easy and inexpensive compared with seed tubers.

To further develop the use of TPS, research is needed to identify breeding methods which will generate high yielding and uniform families and to produce hybrid seed at low cost by using natural pollinators. These objectives can be obtained by using the breeding schemes proposed by Peloquin (1979, 1983).

The purpose of this study is to explore the possibility of using TPS in the south of Italy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sixty-four TPS families obtained from different types of crosses and open pollinations were evaluated in a trial near Naples.

The 64 families consisted of 23 Dts (4x progenies from crosses between 4x cultivars and 2x hybrids); 15 4x progenies from crosses between 4x European cultivars and 4x American cultivars; 11 4x progenies from cultivars x Dts and 15 4x progenies from open pollinated (OP) cultivars. The diploids used as male parents were Solanum phureja-haploid S. tuberosum and S. chacoense-haploid S. tuberosum hybrids, which formed 2n pollen by parallel spindles (first division restitution or FDR).