International Journal of Horticulture, 2025, Vol.15, No.1, 1-7 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 5 Field trials in Jinhua and Wenzhou have also shown that ‘Zheshu956’ has good late blight resistance, with lower tuber rot rates compared to control varieties (Jiang et al., 2022; Shen et al., 2019; 2024). This study did not specifically investigate late blight resistance, but field observations indicated no significant disease outbreaks among the tested varieties. This could be attributed to the relatively dry climate at the experimental site, which reduced pathogen pressure. Future research should integrate field disease monitoring with molecular marker analysis to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of disease resistance, which could strengthen recommendations for variety promotion. In terms of market adaptability, ‘Zheshu 974’ had a high proportion of small tubers, meeting the demand for mini-sized fresh potatoes in certain markets. This characteristic aligns with the traits of Zhejiang’s local potato germplasm, which is generally biased toward smaller tubers with excellent steaming quality (Shen et al., 2018; 2019). ‘Zheshu927’, with its red skin and red flesh, has potential in the niche market for colored potatoes (Ye et al., 2024). However, in Wenzhou trials, ‘Zheshu927’ showed slightly higher yields than ‘Zheshu934’, but it still ranked in the mid-range, indicating that the promotion of colored potatoes in Zhejiang may require further optimization of cultivation strategies to enhance yield stability. The results of this study are relatively clear, but there are still certain limitations. This trial was conducted at a single site, preventing the assessment of how annual climate variations affect variety adaptation. Additionally, the study did not explore different cultivation methods (such as planting density or fertilization strategies), which could influence the overall evaluation of variety suitability. Sensory evaluation was used for taste testing, which may be subject to subjective bias; future studies could incorporate physicochemical analyses to better quantify quality characteristics. Despite these limitations, this study provides a valuable reference for potato variety selection and promotion in Changxing County. ‘Zheshu956’ and ‘Mira’ demonstrated high yield potential, superior quality, and strong adaptability, making them suitable for large-scale promotion. ‘Zheshu974’, with its small and uniform tubers, is suitable for the mini fresh potato market and could be promoted as a specialty variety. ‘Zheshu927’ and ‘Zheshu926’ performed poorly in the field, making them less suitable for widespread cultivation. Future research should expand the scope of trials with multi-year, multi-location experiments to validate the stability and environmental adaptability of these varieties. The impact of different cultivation management measures, such as fertilization strategies and dense planting patterns, on yield and quality also needs further exploration to provide more accurate cultivation recommendations for variety promotion. Integrating molecular breeding techniques could help identify the genetic mechanisms underlying high yield, quality, and disease resistance, supporting the sustainable development of the potato industry. 4 Materials and Methods 4.1 Experimental site conditions This experiment was conducted in the spring of 2024 at Heping Hanxiangmi Family Farm in Dongshan Village, Heping Town, Changxing County, Zhejiang Province, located near National Highway S306. The previous crop at the site was greenhouse-grown grapes. Due to long-term grape cultivation, the soil has undergone extensive management, resulting in high fertility levels. The soil type is sandy loam, which provides good drainage and is conducive to potato growth and tuber development. During the trial period, the temperature at the sowing stage (mid-January) was relatively low but still met the requirements for potato germination. As temperatures increased in spring, the environmental conditions became favorable for tuber formation and enlargement. Overall, this region offers a suitable climatic foundation for conducting spring potato cultivation trials. 4.2 Experimental materials This study selected five fresh-eating potato varieties from different sources, including four newly bred varieties (‘Zheshu956’, ‘Zheshu974’, ‘Zheshu927’, and ‘Zheshu926’) developed by the Institute of Crop and Nuclear Technology Utilization, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and the virus-free seed tubers of ‘Mira’ introduced from Germany (Table 4). These varieties differ in tuber size, skin color, flesh texture, and cooking quality, necessitating field trials to evaluate their adaptability and production potential.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODYzNA==