Apical root cutting: A novel technique for the production of quality seed potato

Abstract

India is the second largest producer and consumer of potato in the world. In the past five decades, potato production has steadily increased from around 8.3 million tonnes in 1980 to 48.6 million tonnes in 2017, an increase of more than 500 percent. In the past ten years, the production has increased more than 60 percent with both area and yield contributing to the increase. The national average potato yield in 2017 was around 24 tonnes per hectare. However, there are wide variations in yield level within India, ranging from 31.5 tonnes per hectare in Gujarat to 10 tonnes per hectare in Assam. Among different constraining factors for yield growth, the limited availability of quality seed material is considered as the most important factor for lower yield levels in eastern states. The high cost of seed (` 60,000-75,000 per hectare), which accounts for 40-50% of the total cost of production, has been a key deterrent for small farmers to take up production in many of these states.