POTATO

POTATO

BOTANICAL NAME Solanum tuberosum L.
FAMILY Solanaceae
CHROMOSOME NO 2n=48
COMMON NAME Alu, Aloo, Aaloo

ORIGIN AND HISTORY
  • The probable centre of origin of potato is in South America in the central Andean region.
  • The first mention of potato in India occurs in Terry’s account of a banquet at Ajmer given by Asaph Khan to Sir Thomas Ro in 1615.
  • Cultivation of potato begun first in the Nilgiri hills in the 1822.
USES
  • Potato has proved its worth in feeding the nation in emergency.
  • It is an important source of starch.
  • It is a rich source of body building substances such as vitamins (B1, B2, B6 and C), minerals (Ca, P and Fe) and protein.
  • It contains all the dietary substances except fat. It is used as staple diet in many of the countries especially in the west.
  • Raw potato should not be consumed as they result in cramps in stomach.
AREA AND PRODUCTION
  • The area under this crop in India was 1863 thousand ha having a production 42339 thousand tonnes with a productivity of 22.7 MT/ha (NHB, 2011).
NUTRITIVE VALUE (per 100g of edible portion)

Energy (kcal) 97 Vitamin-B6 (mg) 0.26
Carbohydrate (g) 22.6 Vitamin-C (mg) 17
Starch (g) 15 Calcium (mg) 10
Fibre (g) 2.2 Iron (mg) 0.7
Fat (g) 0.1 Magnesium (mg) 3.8
Protein (g) 1.6 Phosphorus (mg) 40
Thiamine (mg) 0.10 Sodium (mg) 6
Riboflavin (mg) 0.01 Potassium (mg) 421

VARIETIES
Cultivars recommended in different parts of India:

Early Varieties
(ready in 70-80 days)
 Main season varieties
(ready in 90-95 days) 		Late Varieties
Kufri Ashoka Kufri Jyoti
K. Jeevan
K. Chandermukhi
K. Sutlej
K. Neelamani
Kufri Jawahar K. Pukhraj, K. Megha K. Khasigaro
Kufri Lauvkar
K. Badshah, Kufri Anand K. Naveen

Kufri Bahar, K. Sadabahar

K. Deva, K. Sherpa, K. Swarna

Red coloured: Kufri Sindhuri, Kufri Lalima


FOR PROCESSING: Kufri Chipsona 1, Kufri Chipsona 2, Kufri Chipsona 3, Kufri Himsona.

Descriptions of the important commercial varieties of potatoes are given here under:

Kufri Alankar:
  • A very early 75 days) photo insensitive variety capable of giving high yields, suitable for cultivation in the plains of northern India.
  • This variety, by virtue of its earliness, can be included in the multiple cropping patterns which are coming into vogue with the introduction of the short-duration dwarf, high-yielding varieties of rice and wheat.
Kufri Badshah:
  • Medium maturing with large size and round oval shape.
  • Other tuber characters are: skin white, eyes flat, flesh dull white, tubers develop light purple colour on exposure to light.
  • It is resistant to late blight. It is suitable for cultivation in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal.
Kufri Bahar:
  • Tuber characters of this variety are: size large and shape round to oval, skin white, eyes medium deep and flesh white.
  • It is medium maturing and susceptible to all major diseases.
  • It is suitable for cultivation in northern plains of India.
Kufri Chandramukhi:
  • Early maturing (matures 10 days earlier than Up to Date) with attractive oval white tubers.
  • It degenerates slowly and keeps well in storage.
  • It gives high yields (higher than Up to Date), cooks easily and does not degenerate rapidly in the plains.
Kufri Chamatkar:
  • An early bulking variety (110-120 days) with uniform sized, shining and smooth tubers suitable for cultivation in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Kufri Deva:
  • It is recommended for growing in the Tarai area of western Uttar Pradesh.
  • The tubers are oval round with white yellow flesh and takes about 130 days for harvest in the plains and 150-160 days in the hills.
Kufri Jeewan:
  • A late maturing high yielding variety, possessing high degree of field resistance to late blight, resistance to the wart and Cercospora leaf spot disease.
  • It is recommended for cultivation in Himachal Pradesh.
Kufri Jyoti:
  • Tubers of this variety are large oval, flattened, white skinned, eyes flat and flesh dull white.
  • A widely adaptable and fertilizers responsive variety, possessing a high degree of field resistance to late blight disease in the foliage and also a good degree of tuber resistance to the same disease.
  • This variety is also resistant to the wart and moderately resistant to Cercospora leaf spot.
  • It is recommended for Himachal Pradesh and Kumaun hills of Uttarakhand.
Kufri Kumar:
  • A late maturing (41/2 to 51/2 months) variety, with large, white, and oblong tubers.
  • It is a good yielder both in the hills and in the plains and possesses a high degree of field resistance to late blight.
  • It has, therefore, been recommended for the hills, particularly where late blight is a problem.
Kufri Kuber:
  • It is a variety evolved at the Potato Breeding Station, Shimla in 1943 (Now CPRI).
  • It is an early variety, particularly suited for the plains.
  • It is extremely quick growing in habit and covers the ground very rapidly.
  • As an early crop in the plains, it can be harvested in about 21/2 months after planting. Its tubers are of uniform medium size.
Kufri Kundan:
  • It is a hybrid derived from a cross between Ekishirazy and Katahdin and is released by the Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla.
  • It is particularly promising in the hills where it yields assured crops, especially in years of late blight epidemics, as it shows considerable degree of field resistance to blight.
  • Its tubers are white attractive and of a good size.
  • One of the chief merits of this variety is that it is preferred for cultivation in clay soils.
  • It is not suitable for the plains where it does not yield assured crops.
  • It is moderately resistant to late blight but susceptible to other disease including virus diseases.
Kufri Kisan:
  • This is a late maturing variety which gives heavy yields in the plains.
  • It is particularly suitable for Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and the Punjab.
  • The tubers are medium in size, with a smooth surface, deep eyes, white skin and round shape.
  • It has a very good keeping quality.
Kufri Khasi-Garo:
  • An early maturing variety possessing a good degree of field resistance to late blight and moderate resistance to early blight and viruses.
  • It is fit for growing in the regions of Assam.
Kufri Lalima:
  • Tuber is medium in size, shape round, skin red, eyes medium deep and white flesh.
  • It is medium maturing and moderate resistant to early bright.
  • It is suitable for cultivation in entire area of north Indian plains and is gradually replacing ‘Kufri Sindhuri’.
Kufri Lavkar :
  • It is an early maturing variety (matures in 70 days in plateau and 100 days in the plains) with round white and light creamy firm flesh tubers.
  • It is most suitable for growing in the Deccan plateau of Maharashtra.
Kufri Moti :
  • It is suitable for growing in the Nilgiri hills where late blight poses problem for potato multiplication.
  • The tubers are oval white and round, take 110-120 days to mature.
  • It is field immune to race 1 of late blight.
  • Resistance to wart and moderate resistance to Cercospora leaf spot and early blight, it resembles ‘Great Scot’ in maturity and tuber characteristics but gives comparatively 100 per cent more yield.
  • It yields about 130 quintals per hectare.
Kufri Naveen:
  • A fertilizers responsive variety for the Khasi Hill region of Assam; possess a high degree of field resistance to late blight, resistance to wart and moderate resistance to Cerospora leaf spot and early blight.
Kufri Neela:
  • A late maturing (41/2 to 51/2 months) verity with round white tubers.
  • It is a substitute for ‘Great Scot’ and has several virtues.
  • It answers the trade needs and possess ‘Great Scot’ type of tubers. Besides, it yields about 70 per cent higher than ‘Great Scot’.
  • The greatest value of this variety is that it is resistant to late blight, which in recent years, has limited potato culture in the Nilgiri hills.
Kufri Neelmani :
  • Suited for the Nilgiri hills in the South.
  • It has given 100 per cent more yield than the variety ‘Great Scot’, which has long been popular in the Nilgiri area.
  • The new variety can be grown in all the three potato crop season in that area.
Kufri Red:
  • It is the selection from Darjeeling Red Round isolated and developed by the Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla.
  • It is superior in yield and quality of tubers to Darjeeling Red Round.
  • It has substituted Darjeeling Red Round on a large scale in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab.
Kufri Safed :
  • A new improved disease free clone of Phulwa and Kufri Safed has been developed by the Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla.
  • The clone resembles Phulwa in most of its morphological features except that the leaves are slightly bigger.
  • This variety yields on an average 25 per cent more than Phulwa.
Kufri Sindhuri :
  • Medium maturing (31/2 to 41/2 months) with round, light red and medium sized tubers.
  • It is suitable for cultivation as a main crop variety in the plains, as replacements to Kufri Red and other late varieties.
Kufri Sheetman :
  • A frost resistant variety suitable especially for the Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.
  • It can be planted late in the northern plains owing to its high degree of resistance to frost.
Up-to-Date:
  • It is an early high yielding variety, having big sized tubers of oval shape and white colour.
  • It has a white flesh which cooks readily and breaks if cooked for longer time than necessary.
  • It is a very popular variety in the Shimla hills, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
Kufri Muthu:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 1971 through conventional hybridization.
  • A medium maturing variety producing tall, erect, compact, vigorous plants with white flowers.
  • The tubers are white, round-oval, large with medium deep eyes.
  • The variety is moderately resistant to late blight and has been replaced by Kufri Jyoti. Suitable for cultivation in South Indian hills.
Kufri Sherpa:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 1983 through conventional hybridization.
  • A medium maturing variety producing tall, erect, medium compact, vigorous plants with light red-purple flowers.
  • The tubers are white, round flattened, medium with medium deep eyes.
  • The variety is moderately resistant to early, immune to wart and was resistant to late blight but is not under cultivation at present.
  • Suitable for cultivation in North Bengal hills and Sikkim
Kufri Swarna:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 1985 through conventional hybridization.
  • A medium maturing (130-135 days in summer and 100-110 days in autumn) variety producing tall, erect, compact and vigorous plants with white flowers.
  • The tubers are medium-large, white, round-oval with fleet eyes and unlike Kufri Jyoti do not show cracking.
  • The variety is moderately resistant to late blight and cyst nematodes and heavy yielder (average yields 25-30 t/ha).
  • Suitable for cultivation in South Indian hills.
Kufri Megha:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 1989 through conventional hybridization.
  • A late maturing variety producing tall, erect, medium compact, vigorous plants with white flowers.
  • The tubers are white, round-oval, medium with flat eyes.
  • The variety is highly resistant to late blight and yields on an average 22-28 t/ha.
  • Suitable for cultivation in North-eastern hills.
Kufri Jawahar:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 1996 through conventional hybridization.
  • A medium-early maturing (80-90 days) variety producing short, erect, compact and vigorous plants with white flowers.
  • The tubers are medium, white, round-oval with fleet eyes.
  • The variety is moderately resistant to late blight and suitable for mechanized cultivation and gives average yields of 35-40 t/ha.
  • Suitable for cultivation in North Indian plains and plateau region.
Kufri Sutlej:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 1996 through conventional hybridization.
  • A medium maturing (90-110 days) variety producing medium tall, erect, medium compact and vigorous plants with white flowers.
  • Tubers are attractive, large, white, oval with fleet eyes.
  • The variety is moderately resistant to late blight having average yields of 35-40 t/ha.
  • Suitable for cultivation in North Indian plains.
Kufri Ashoka:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 1996 through conventional hybridization.
  • An early maturing (60-80 days) variety producing medium tall, erect, medium compact and vigorous plants with light red-purple flowers.
  • Tubers are medium-large, white, oval-long with medium-deep eyes.
  • The variety is susceptible to major potato diseases and yields on an average 28-35 t/ha.
  • Suitable for cultivation in North Indian plains.
Kufri Pukhraj:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 1998 through conventional hybridization.
  • An early maturing (70-90 days) variety producing tall, semi-erect, medium compact and vigorous plants with white flowers.
  • Tubers are large, white, oval, slightly tapered with fleet eyes and develop faint purple colour on exposure to sun.
  • The variety is resistant to early blight and moderately resistant to late blight and on an average yields of 40-50 t/ha.
  • Suitable for cultivation in North Indian plains and plateau region.
Kufri Giriraj:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 1998 through conventional hybridization.
  • A medium maturing (130-135 days) variety producing medium tall, semi-erect, medium compact and vigorous plants with light-purple flowers.
  • Tubers are medium to large, white, oval, with fleet eyes.
  • The variety is field resistant to late blight with average yields of 25-30 t/ha. Suitable for cultivation in North Indian hills.
Kufri Anand:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 1999 through conventional hybridization.
  • A medium maturing (100-110 days) variety producing tall, erect, open and vigorous plants with light purple flowers.
  • Tubers are large, oval-oblong, white skinned with fleet eyes.
  • The variety is resistant to late blight and gives average yields of 40-45 t/ha.
  • Suitable for cultivation in North Indian plains.
Kufri Kanchan:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 1999 through conventional hybridization.
  • A medium maturing (110-135 in summers and 90-100 days in winter) variety producing medium tall, semi-erect, medium compact, vigorous plants with red purple flowers.
  • Tubers are medium-large, oval-oblong and red with fleet eyes.
  • The variety is field resistant to late blight, resistant to wart and slow rate of degeneration.
  • It on an average yields 25-28 t/ha. Suitable for cultivation in North Bengal hills.
Kufri Arun:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 2005 through conventional hybridization.
  • A medium maturing (90-100 days) variety producing tall, erect, vigorous, medium-compact plants with light red-purple flowers.
  • The tubers are medium, oval, red, medium deep eyes with creamy flesh.
  • The variety is field resistant to late blight and on an average yields 25-30 t/ha.
  • Suitable for cultivation in North Indian plains.
Kufri Pushkar:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 2005 through conventional hybridization.
  • A medium maturing (90-100 days) variety producing medium-tall, erect, vigorous, compact plants with white flowers.
  • The tubers are medium, round-oval, white, flat to medium deep eyes with light yellow flesh.
  • The variety is resistant to late blight and early blight and on an average yields 35-38 t/ha.
  • Suitable for cultivation in Indo-Gangetic plains and plateau region.
Kufri Shailja:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 2005 through conventional hybridization.
  • A medium maturing (110-120 days) variety producing medium-tall, semi-erect, vigorous, semi-compact plants with light red-purple flowers.
  • The tubers are medium, round-oval, white, smooth, shallow eyes with pale yellow flesh.
  • The variety possesses field resistance to late blight both in foliage and tubers. The variety on an average yields 25-28 t/ha.
  • Suitable for cultivation in North Indian hills.
Kufri Chipsona-1:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 1998 through conventional hybridization.
  • A medium maturing (100-110 days) variety producing medium to tall, semi-erect, compact, vigorous plants with white flowers.
  • The tubers are medium to large, oval, white with fleet eyes.
  • The variety possesses resistance to late blight and is suitable both for preparation of chips and French fries and on an average yields 35-38 t/ha.
  • Suitable for cultivation in North Indian plains.
Kufri Chipsona-2:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 1998 through conventional hybridization.
  • A medium maturing (100-110 days) variety producing medium tall, erect, open, plants with white flowers.
  • The tubers are medium to large, round, white with fleet eyes.
  • The variety possesses resistance to late blight and tolerance to frost, suitable for preparation of chips and on an average yields 32-35 t/ha.
  • Suitable for cultivation in North Indian plains.
Kufri Chipsona-3:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 2006 through conventional hybridization.
  • A medium maturing (100-110 days) variety producing tall, erect, vigorous, semi-compact plants with white flowers.
  • The tubers are round-oval, medium, white with fleet eyes.
  • The variety possesses field resistance to late blight, moderate field resistance to phoma, early blight, mosaic, severe mosaic and leaf roll.
  • The tubers have high dry matter, negligible glycoalkaloid content and comparatively good protein content, suitable for preparation of chips and on an average yields 32-35 t/ha.
  • Suitable for cultivation in North Indian plains.
Kufri Surya:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 2006 through conventional hybridization.
  • An early maturing (75-90 days) variety producing medium tall, erect, semi-compact, vigorous plants having light red purple flowers with shy flowering.
  • The tubers are medium to large, oblong, white, smooth, shallow eyes with pale yellow flesh.
  • This is a heat tolerant variety that can be grown in areas having night temperature above 20ºC and is field resistant to hopper burn.
  • This variety also possesses some resistance to mite damage and late blight.
  • The variety on an average yields 35-40 t/ha.
  • Suitable for cultivation in North Indian plains and Peninsular India.
Kufri Himalini:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 2006 through conventional hybridization.
  • A medium maturing (110-120 days) variety producing medium-tall, semi-erect, vigorous, semi-compact plants with light purple flowers.
  • The tubers are medium, oval-oblong, white, smooth, shallow eyes with pale yellow flesh.
  • The variety possesses field resistance to late blight in foliage and moderate resistance in tubers.
  • The variety on an average yields 27-30 t/ha. Suitable for cultivation in North western and north eastern hills.
Kufri Himsona:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 2007 through conventional hybridization.
  • A medium maturing (120-140 days) variety producing open, medium, thin stems with flowers primarily purple/ intense purple with white tip on both sides.
  • The tubers are medium, round-oval, white, smooth, shallow eyes with cream pale yellow flesh.
  • It is the 1st high dry matter, low reducing sugar and late blight resistant potato variety for HP hills.
  • The variety on an average yields 20-25 t/ha. Suitable for cultivation in North Indian hills.
Kufri Sadabahar:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 2007 through conventional hybridization.
  • Medium maturing variety released as an apt replacement of K Bahar in UP and adjoining areas.
  • The tubers are large, attractive, oblong, white with shallow eyes and flesh white.
  • The variety possesses resistance to late blight, good keeping quality and dry matter (20%).
  • The variety on an average yields 35-45 t/ha. Suitable for cultivation in Uttar Pradesh and adjoining areas.
Kufri Girdhari:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 2008 through conventional hybridization.
  • A medium maturing (110-120 days) variety producing medium-tall, semi-erect, vigorous, semi-compact plants with white flowers.
  • The tubers are medium, oval-oblong, white, smooth, shallow eyes with pale yellow flesh.
  • The variety possesses high level of field resistance to late blight in foliage and tubers.
  • The variety on an average yields 27-30 t/ha. Suitable for cultivation in hills.
Kufri Khyati:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 2008 through conventional hybridization.
  • An early maturing variety with moderate resistance to late blight.
  • The variety yields higher than exiting early cultivars both at 60 and 75 days after planting.
  • Suitable for cultivation in Indian plains.
TPS Population 92-PT- 27:
  • Developed by Central Potato Research Institute in 2007. True potato seeds (botanical seeds) are produced through conventional hybridization.
  • Uniform and high yielding TPS population with resistance to late blight.
  • Both parents flower under short days in the plains.
  • Suitable for cultivation in eastern region.
CLIMATE REQUIREMENTS
  • Potato is a cool season crop.
  • It grows well from sea level to snow line, where sufficient moisture and fertile soil are available.
  • It is grown in winter in plains of India.
  • However, in northern hills, it is grown as summer season crop.
  • Potato is a long day plant but cultivated as short day plant.
  • It required favourable environmental conditions such as low temperature and short day conditions at the time of tuberization.
  • It is a cool season crop and can tolerate moderate frost.
  • It requires 20oC soil temperature for better germination.
  • Young plant growth is good at 24oC but later growth is favoured by a temperature of 18oC.
  • No tuberization when the night temperature is more than 23oC.
  • Maximum tuberization is encountered at 20oC.
  • Tuber formation stops completely at about 29-30oC.
  • Planting is done in the hills when the maximum temperatures are about 20-22oC and minimum temperature are about 12-15oC
SOIL
  • Potato can be produced on a wide range of soils, ranging from sandy loam, silt loam and clay soil.
  • Soil for potato should be friable, well aerated, fairly well supplied with organic matter.
  • Well drained sandy loam and medium loam soils are most suitable for potato cultivation.
  • Light soil is preferred.
  • Alkaline or saline soil is not suitable for potato cultivation. (pH 5.0-6.5)
Last modified: Tuesday, 19 June 2012, 6:40 AM