Telangana Govt plans to increase production of potato

Horticulture department is planning to adopt Apical rooted Cutting (ARC) seed technology to produce quality seeds at an affordable cost

Hyderabad: Apart from tomatoes, onions, and spinach among others, potato is a common vegetable staple for Indian kitchens. Given the high demand for potatoes in the market, the State government is planning to increase production in the State.

A major problem associated with potato cultivation in the State is the availability of planting materials or seeds. They are presently procured from the Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), Shimla, and some traders in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh.

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The procurement of seeds from other States results in huge transportation costs adding unnecessary burdens on farmers and accounting for about 40-50 per cent of the total cost of production.

To address these issues, the Horticulture department is planning to adopt Apical rooted Cutting (ARC) seed technology to produce quality seeds at an affordable cost.

For this, the department sent a 15-member team, including progressive farmers, to the International Potato Centre (CIP) and University of Horticultural Sciences (UHS), Bengaluru, on a study tour. After visiting different nurseries, tissue culture labs, and fields, the team came up with an action plan to promote ARC technology in the State.

As per the action plan, seeds produced via ARC will be procured from CIP or other nurseries in Bengaluru and supplied to farmers free of cost during Vanakalam (Kharif) and tubers (seeds) formed will be further used during the Rabi crop season.

Also, the mother bed for an ARC of potato is being prepared at the Centre of Excellence (COE) in Jeedimetla and Mulugu. Further, plants produced from the mother bed will be distributed among farmers of Sangareddy, Vikarabad, and Siddipet during the Rabi crop season on subsidy.

The Horticulture Department will promote the ARC technology in the State on a commercial scale after observing the performance of the product during Kharif and Rabi crop seasons.