Agronomic characteristics of several local varieties of potato cultivated in a protected area

Background and Objectives: Potato, the number one non-grain food commodity in the word, has recently been the subject of numerous research projects aimed at recovering endemic or local genotypes, especially in the original countries. In view of the worldwide interest on local germplasm conservation, the aim of the study was to evaluate the agronomic performances and tuber characteristics of several local potato varieties, which are still cultivated in small towns in the Pollino National Park. Materials and Methods: The experiment was carried out at the "Pollino" Experimental Agricultural Farm Station, located in Rotonda (Potenza, Italy). Eight local potato varieties were compared with three commercial varieties. Number of leaves and inflorescences and plant height were measured during the growing cycle. While, number of tubers per plant, weight and size were recorded at the harvest and analyzed by one-way Anova. Results: Data of yield, number and average unit weight of the tubers were statistically different among varieties. Except for the commercial variety (Spunta), that showed scarce vegetative development and resulted unproductive, the yield of tubers ranged from 170 to 700 g per plant, with two local varieties (Rossa and Bianca di Terranova) and the commercial variety (Marabel) being the most productive (640 and 510 g/plant, respectively). The majority of the local varieties produced tubers with irregular shapes, which were mainly small in some varieties and medium-large in the others. Conclusion: Results suggest that it would be worthwhile to focus on agronomic studies in order to improve production facilitating local biodiversity conservation and in the meantime avoiding land abandonment.