Lateral branching, long stolons etc in potatoes-Pictures

[wmontanez]

First attempt to take pictorial evidence of potatoes varieties with potential of setting potatoes along the main stem and sending stolons away from it's original base. My motivation is no other that "Just because" I do see potential that this sort of information will benefit many more people that have curiosity and better themselves at this wonderful hobby of growing delicious food that are not available to the masses or your typical supermarket varieties.

I want to express my gratitude to a fellow gardener in this forum: NathanP for helping to replicate this in his Rhode Island garden. Also want to thank Durgan for inspiring me more (regardless of the perceived attitude of other people in this forum might have of his take on our TPS potato growing). Without questions there are no answers, right?

Reference Diagram (from Thomas Wagner)
http://i.imgur.com/eX2yysa.jpg

Quote from Fusion_Power post #52 http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...t=27289&page=4
"Virtually all commercial potatoes are genetically incapable of producing multiple shoots with multiple spuds on the stolons. Tom has tried to show that there is a different type of potato that grows with a strong branching habit. I would refer to it as lateral branch fruitful because each new lateral branch that forms also has the ability to set new stolons with more spuds."

If the plant is not buried instead of stolons and new potatoes, Will the plant just branch out and get big?

I planted 3 seeds left side of the picture. The plants only get water when it rains. No supplemental or irrigation.



Plant#1


I see stolons originating from the base and emerge as a new plant and also making more new potatoes (bottom part of the picture)



Plant#2


Closer look at the section that broke off while digging the plant, note the length of stolons forming new potatoes....




With all this above I wish it does not start another thread hijacking and that we focus on the pictures presented above and the main point of this thread. To share information about "Lateral branching, long stolons etc in potatoes".

This variety CIP366256 had some small stolons starting to form above the seed piece but not clear if I let it die down would it continue to send more stolons nor develop new potatoes. More evidence is needed to convince myself that this variety has that potential illustrated in Tom's diagram above, the total hilling was ~12in.