[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]IN VITRO MICRO TUBER SEED PRODUCTION OF POTATO
(In Vitro Micro Tuber Seed Production of Potato cv. Kufri Himalini for Commercial Cultivation in Hilly Regions of Uttarakhand)
BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT
The potato is one of the most important food crops both in developed as well as in developing countries. Due to its diversified uses in developed countries as food, feed raw material for producing starch, the potato was generally regarded to be a crop suited for western world. Potato is next only to rice, wheat and maize cultivation in India. It is potentially a crop which can be harvested and the tuber can be consumed any time after sixty days of planting. As a source of energy it surpasses cereals like wheat and rice. The potato is a dicot plant belonging to the family solanaceae and the genus solanum. The Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has identified two new hybrid varieties of potato kufri chipsona- 3 and kufri himalini. Nearly 8% of the total area under potato in the country lies in the hills, where potato is the important cash crop. Late blight disease (phytopthora infestans) appears in the hills in epiphytotic form every year and is the most important impediment in potato cultivation. Kufri himalini shows 100% resistance against Late blight disease of potato.
Potato cultivators are tetraploid vegetatively propagated crop. It poses several problems in seed production. Generally tuber of potato is used as a seed. Due to progressive accommodation of viral diseases in seed stock, availability of good quality seed is a major constraint in potato production, which is approximately 50% of the total production cost. Besides high cost of seed potato, propagation is also characterized by low multiplication rate of only 4-6 times. Hence to produce the disease free planting material and for decreasing the production cost, new methods of propagation are to be derived and adopted. Micro propagation is the better alternative over to conventional propagation of potato. The in vitro propagation method is the most suitable alternative to produce micro tuber seed material of potato. By using this technique, the large scale clonal material can be produced in short time duration. Use of micro-propagation for commercial seed production has moved potato from test tubes to fields. The advances are the being second “green revolution” in agriculture and are expected to make farming more efficient, profitable and environmentally safe.
Development of micro tuber is a best alternative of conventional method. Micro tubers are a small seed material of potato, which solve many problems of farmers. In hills the main problem is late blight diseases of potato and farmers get loss through conventional method of cultivation. Farmers use pieces of potato in the field by which many viral diseases may take place. The other problem is that the whole potato tuber is used as a seed by farmers. Micro tuber have a good quality and uniformity in all seed material and gives a diseases free planting material of potato to the farmers. Micro tubers help the farmers economically, socially and commercially.
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
• Media modification by involving low cost components.
• Mass multiplication of potato micro tuber seed material.
• Production of mini tubers from micro tubers.
• Distribution of superior quality planting material amongst farmers for its mass cultivation.
COMPONENTS OF THE PROJECT
• Collection of authentic tuber of potato cv Kufri Himalini.
• Growing of mother plants in poly house.
• Selection of explants from mother plant.
• Preparation of different medium.
• Sterilization and establishment of explants in different medium.
• Growth and monitoring of cultures.
• Comparison between different mediums.
• Cultures are shifted in liquid propagation medium.
• Evaluation of micro tubers growth parameters.
• Production of mini tubers from micro tubers.
• Evaluation of mini tuber growth parameters.
TARGET AREA AND TARGET GROUPS OF THE PROJECT
The target area of the project is Ranichauri area of District Tehri Garhwal. Progressive farmers of the area are the target group of the project.
FUNDING AGENCY
The project is funded by Uttarakhand State Council for Science & Technology (UCOST), Department of Science & Technology, Government of Uttarakhand, Dehradun.
COST OF THE PROJECT
The project was sanctioned by UCOST during the year 2007. Total cost of the project sanctioned by UCOST for two years was Rs. 5,59,000.00.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”829,830,831,834,835,836,837,838,839,840,833,832″ img_size=”medium”][/vc_column][/vc_row]