Biological features of the development of early potato varieties in the Murmansk region

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a fairly popular agricultural crop in Russia, the tubers of which are the main food of the population. For the North, it is important to replenish the assortment of early potato varieties adapted to growing in extreme conditions. The aim of this research was to study the development of plants of early and mid-early potato varieties in the Murmansk region.Methods. The article presents the results of studying the developmental biology and productivity elements of 63 early and mid-early varieties from the of VIR world potato collection. The Khibinskiy ranniy variety is used as a standard. The study was conducted on the territory of the Polar Experimental Station of Apatity. The soil of the experimental plot is sandy loam, highly cultivated, the organic matter content is 8,7%, pH 5,2; Р2О5 – 103 mg/100 g, К2О – 39,2 mg/100 g of soil. The total area of the plot was 286,5 m2 , the counting area was 5 m2, the planting scheme was 70x30 cm, the experiment was repeated three times, the distribution of varieties was randomized.Results. Phenological observations revealed varieties with the shortest interphase periods: Ognivo, Sundinsky ranniy, Uralsky ranniy, Khibinskiy ranniy, Amazone, Aster, Lady Claire. Varieties Daryonka, Lyubava, Dolphin formed berries within three years.Conclusion. Concorde, Corine и Karatop exceeded the standart at 50, 60, 75 days from planting in the years of study, which shows the ability of the cultivars for intensive tuberization in the early stages, combined with high stable productivity in the North. The significant influence of meteorological conditions on the development dynamics of potato plants, their yield and on the adaptive ability to local growing conditions has been identified. There singled out the cultivars that are characterized by consistently high rates of the dynamics of tuber accumulation in the early stages, possessing a high adaptive ability, which can be used in breeding for early maturity and productivity in the North regions.