Effects of different growing media on growth parameters and tuber yield of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) minitubers

Recently, the demand for peat has increased due to the increase in seedling production and the destruction of peatlands has accelerated. In this study, different growing media and mixtures such as vermicompost, perlite, and vermiculite were tested instead of imported peat as growing media in vitro seedling cultivation to produce super elite seed mini-tuber. The study was conducted in the fully controlled greenhouses of the Niğde Potato Research Institute Directorate in 2022. The effects of growing media on plant growth parameters and yield were studied and their performance was revealed. In vitro, seedlings of local potato varieties Leventbey and Niğşah were used as plant material in the experiment. Six different growing media were used in the experiment: Peat (100%), vermiculite (100%), peat + perlite (1:1), vermiculite + perlite (1:1), vermicompost + perlite (1:1), and peat + vermiculite + vermicompost + perlite (1:1:1:1:1). The experiment was set up and carried out in four replications according to a randomized block split-plot design with varieties in the main plots and treatments in the sub-plots. As a result, the T+VK+VC+P application of Niğşah variety with the highest tuber number and the lowest cost is recommended to be preferred.