INTEGRATION OF WHITE POTATO INTO THE VEGETABLE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS OF MONTSERRAT

In 1984 an integrated programme to reintroduce white potato into the vegetable production system was initiated in Montserrat by the Ministry of Agriculture. Technology development for the crop which is CARDI's responsibility, has major objectives of increasing productivity through more efficient use of planting material and more adaptable varieties. Multilocational evaluation of eight Dutch varieties has confirmed the standard variety Desiree as the most adaptable of those tested, however, Bartina (pink) and Frisia (brown) out-performed Desiree under ideal growing conditions producing larger, more uniform tubers. Both these varieties seem to have a higher susceptibility to soil-borne diseases but are more tolerant than Desiree to early and late blights. Preliminary trials on tuber production from true potato seed (TPS) were successful and the technique of rapid stem propagation as a means of producing planting material was evaluated. The effect of employing CARDI's Farming Systems Research and Development methodology within this programme is examined. ----- EI Ministerio de Agricultura de Montserrat, en el ano 1984, inici6 un prograrna integrado para reintroducir el cultivo de la papa, en el sistema de produccion de hortalizas. CARDI tiene la responsabilidad de desarrollar la tecnologia para este cultivo, Sus mayores objetivos son: de incrernentar la produccion mediante, el uso mas eficiente del material para el cultivo y, el usa de variedades mas adaptables, La evaluacion de localizacion multiple de ocho variedades de origen holandes, cstablece" a la varieded comun, Desiree, como a la mas adaptable entre las que fueron ensayadas, Sin embargo bajo condiciones ideales de crecimiento las variedades Bartina (rosada) y Frisia (cafe) rindier6n mas que la variedad Desiree y produjeron tuberculos mas grandes y uniformes. Arnbas de estas variedades parecen scr mas susceptibles a enfermedades originadas en ell suelo pero, resisten mejor que Desiree al Phytoph· thora intestens y a la Alternaria solani. Ensayos prelirninares sobre la propagacion, mediante sernillas (TPS), del tuberculo fueron exitosas y la t6cnica de propagacion vegetatlva-rapida de un segmento del tallo para obtener material para el plantio, ful! evaluada. En esta presentacion, se analiza 1'1 efecto que se obtendra al utilizar el sistema de investigacion de Agricultura y rnetodologia del desarrollo de CARDI, con relacidn a este programa