Morphological Characteristics of Solanum Tuberosum Varieties Cultivated in North-West Spain

Potato is one of the main agricultural crops in north-western Spain. Varieties such as Baraka, Kennebec, Desiree and Alava are more commonly planted, but there is an interest in introducing other improved cultivars. The first step in the identification of a new potato varieties includes an assessment of the morphological characteristics of its aerial parts and their tubers characteristics. In this work, 36 botanical descriptors of 28 potato varieties were studied. The study took place during 2014 and 2015 in an experimental field at the Agricultural Research Centre of INORDE in A Limia (Ourense), Spain. Each variety was planted in three plots distributed within the experimental field. Morphological characteristics were measured on six plants of each variety. Multivariate statistical analyses were performed to identify differences and similarities between varieties. The floral characteristics and the degree of flowering were important features to differentiate the varieties. Also, plant habit, pigmentation in stem, calix and pedicel contributed to this differentiation.