https://doi.org/10.37229/fsa.fjh.2024.12.10

This study was conducted on the potato plant (Solanum tuberosum L.), cv. Spunta to evaluate the effect of the number of eyes on seed tuber piece (STP) i.e., containing one, two, or three eyes using different planting distances (10, 15, 20, and 25 cm) between plants, and the resulting combinations on vegetative growth, yield, its components and the savings in seed quantity. The experiment was conducted during both summer seasons of 2023 and 2024 growing on clay soil at Kaha Vegetables Research Farm, Horticultural Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Egypt. The results showed that the most positive effect obtained from the seed tuber pieces treatments and the interaction with planting distances was the use of a single-eye piece with a 10 cm planting distance, which led to an increase in productivity proportional to the economical amount of seed used. However, the results also showed that using a seed piece with three eyes and planting at a distance of 10 or 15 cm between plants resulted in higher productivity than the previous treatment. However, considering the quantity of seed used in the latter treatment with the higher yield, it appears disproportionate to the increased seed quantity used in planting. The cost of the seeds is not comparable to the selling price of the crop to the consumer (local market). Based on the study conducted, it was found that using a seed piece with a single eye and planting at a distance of 10 cm is the best combination due to its economic advantages and increased yield, in addition to its superiority over the other treatments in production of seed tubers in the ideal sizes of seed.