For the Brazilian conditions, the determination of the quality of a potato field, grown for seed purposes cannot be done based only in field inspections. A post control method is already recommended, based on the removal of spheric seed pieces from the crown end of tuber samples and their planting for further determination of their phytosanitary quality. In order to determine the best way for breaking the dormancy of seed pieces of the cv. Aracy (IAC-2) a late cultivar, which ought produce plants of easy determination of secondary infection with the potato leafroll virus (PLRV), a trial was carried out with six treatments in 1983, at Tietê, State of São Paulo, Brazil. The treatments were: 1 - check control; 2 - whole tubers treated with CS2 (30 cc/m³ of chamber during 48 hours) and posterior removal of the eyes; 3 - immersion of the seed pieces in a solution containing 1 ppm of gibberellic acid (G.A.); 4 - the same, in a 2 ppm G.A solution; 5 - treatment 2 plus treatment 3; and 6 - treatment 2 plus treatment 4. The treatment 5 gave the best results. It is discussed the influente of the seed piece treatment in the percentage of a perfect stand, in four consecutive observations, spaced of two weeks; in the height of the plants; in the numbers of leaves in the major stem; in the number of stems per seed piece and in the development of PLRV symptoms.
seed potato; post-control; breaking of dormancy