Phenology and Morphological Diversity of the Main Potato Cultivars in Iran

The phenotypic diversity of potato, Solanum tuberosum was assessed using morphological traits. To verify, how this diversity is distributed among the main potato varieties in the growing areas in Iran. A total of eleven potato varieties, Ramose, Sante, Shepody, Marfona, Maradona, Milova, Santana, Boren, Cosima, Granola and Agria, were evaluated under vivo and situ experimental conditions in Isfahan, conditions, Iran. Seven phenological, floral and morphological vegetative aerial descriptors, Growth Rate=CGR, Net Assimilation Rate=NAR, Leaf Area Duration=LAD, Leaf Area Ratio=LAR and specific Leaf Area=SLA were recorded. The descriptors were evaluated by SAS Software and their means comparison by DMRT test. Certain defined groups were observed, indicating that the diversity of the cultivars are structured with a considerable morphological variation in between the varieties with a very high significant growth indices.