Temporary immersion system: a system to improve the quality of potato seeds (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivar ‘Granola Lembang’

High-quality, virus-free, and vigorous potato plantlets are crucial for producing subsequent generations of potato seeds. This study aimed to optimize potato seed development using two distinct propagation systems: a temporary immersion system (TIS) employing liquid media and a conventional system utilizing semi-solid media. A factorial, completely randomized design was employed, with the propagation system (TIS vs. conventional) and sucrose concentration (30, 40, 50, 60 g L-1) as factors. Results indicated superior potato seed growth in the TIS compared to the conventional system. Specifically, plantlets grown in TIS with 30 g L-1 sucrose exhibited a greater height (13.43 cm) than those in the conventional system with 30 g L-1 sucrose (8.23 cm). Similar trends were observed for leaf number and root length, with TIS + 30 g L-1 sucrose yielding 14.55 leaves and a root length of 15.00 cm, compared to 8.55 leaves and 6.76 cm in the conventional system, respectively. The total chlorophyll content in the TIS + 30 g L-1 sucrose treatment was 1.45 mg L-1, while the conventional system + 30 g L-1 sucrose treatment yielded 0.98 mg L-1. Virus testing confirmed the absence of the four major potato viruses (PVX, PVY, PVS, and PLRV) in all treatments. These findings suggest that mass propagation of high-quality, virus-free potato seeds can be effectively achieved using TIS with the addition of 30 g L-1 sucrose.