Multivariate Evaluation of Agronomic Performance and Tuber Quality for Identifying Superior Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Mutant Clones

Abstract Potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) is a widely consumed commodity rich in carbohydrates. Multivariate analysis can assist potato breeders in selecting superior genotypes for specific traits. This study aimed to identify genotype-by-environment interactions (GEIs) for yield and quality traits, estimate heritability, and select top genotypes using the Multi-trait Genotype-Ideotype Distance Index (MGIDI). This study used eight potato mutants derived from in vitro mutagenesis (gamma ray irradiation). The research was conducted over two growing seasons in Pangalengan, West Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. GEIs revealed significant differences (p < 0.01) for yield, leaf length, number of tubers per plot, and tuber length. Factor analysis using the MGIDI index showed that potato traits played key roles across three different factors in two seasons (January–April 2024 (M1) and August–December 2024 (M2)). This allowed for the selection of genotypes with genetic gains ranging from 0.62% to 36.30%, alongside broad-sense heritability (h² b ) values from 50.00% to 97.92%. The MGIDI index successfully identified two genotypes, Medians and M-145b, which were consistent across both seasons. These genotypes demonstrated high performance for all traits evaluated and displayed their respective strengths and weaknesses based on the contributing factors. This study offers insights into the complex relationships among potato traits and shows that selection based on multi-trait indices can effectively support future breeding efforts.