Abstract
The dormancy of potato tubers after harvest is one of the most important
factors affecting the yield of the subsequent potato crop. The genetic factor
is one of the most important factors affecting the sprouting and the length of
the dormant period. Therefore, we conducted this research with the aim of
studying the behavior of the tubers of some potato varieties cultivated in
northern Syria towards the dormancy and the sprouting. The research was carried
out in the 2019 agricultural season in the Al-Rouj Plain, which is considered
one of the most important potato production areas in northern Syria. The test
was carried out on three varieties: Spunta, Synergy, and Panela. The tubers
were treated with gibberellic acid at four concentrations (0, 5, 10, and 20
ppm) during four soaking periods (0, 10, 20, and 30 minutes). The design was
used completely randomly in the experiment with three replicates per treatment
and each replicate was one kg tubers. The results showed the superiority of all
treatments on the control and in all the studied characteristics. Spunta
exceeded the other studied varieties in sprouting speed by 24.75 days, and the
number of sprouts on the sample by 8.78. While the variety Panela outperformed
the average weight of one sprout by 6.85 g. In addition, the highest
concentration (20 ppm) exceeded the other concentrations in all the studied traits.
The longer soaking period (30 minutes) outperformed the other soaking periods
in all the studied traits. In general, the interaction of Spunta with
gibberellin was superior to the higher concentration and the longer soaking
period in the overall studied traits.