Potato and Tuber Crops

Planting of Hybridization Block

• Plant male and female parental lines in two separate but adjacent blocks.
• The area required for planting male block is generally kept at about 1/4 to 1/6 of the female block.
• Plant the male block about a week before planting female block during the main season in the plains at the spacing of 60 x 20 cm.
• In the female block, prepare beds of three rows each, draw 3 rows at 50 cm inter row distance (in hills) and 45 cm inter row spacing (in plains) leaving 80 cm walking space between two adjacent beds.
• Plant tubers at 15 cm intra-row distances. Use about 30 g size seed tubers or the seed pieces for planting female block.After planting, trim the plants in the female block to retain single stem/plant.