Clone X environmental interactions for yellow-flesh intensity in tetraploid potatoes

For the yellow-flesh fresh market, potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars with intense yellow-flesh are desired. The effects of clone, environment and clone X environment interactions on the intensity of the yellow-flesh trait in tetraploid potatoes were investigated. Twenty-four yellow-flesh clones, including 23 USDA selections and the check cultivar Yukon Gold, were evaluated for tuber yellow-flesh color as measured by a reflectance colorimeter in replicated field trials in Presque Isle, Maine in 1991 and 1992, and in Riverhead, N.Y., and Bridgeton, N.J., in 1992 and 1993. There were significant differences among environments and among clones for yellow-flesh intensity. The clone X environment interaction was also significant. Broad-sense heritability of yellow-flesh intensity was estimated as 0.93 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.92-0.97. The instabilities noted in some of these clones, although statistically significant, are of limited practical concern. The intensity of yellow-flesh will be an important trait for breeders to select in developing new yellow-flesh cultivars. However, in testing yellow-flesh clones for future cultivar release, the role of environment and clone X environment interactions on other agronomic traits will probably be more important than the environment and clone X environment interactions on the intensity of yellow-flesh.