Botany

Botany

    • Potato has special seed production problems as the quality characteristics of seed potatoes are influenced by a number of factors and important amongst them are the diseases and pests namely, viruses, fungi, bacteria and nematodes. Once the seed tuber is infected by the pathogens, especially viruses which enter through the plant system, the plant growth therefore declines and the yield reduces progressively.
    • It is therefore, important that seed stocks should not only be genetically pure but also should be in right physiological condition and disease free at the time of planting. Seed production technology developed for seed potato production, thus aims at producing disease free, genetically pure seed.
    • There are now two independent channels of seed production for hills and plains.
    Flower bud of potato
    Figure 1.Flower bud of potato
    Hill seed
    • The seed produced in hills (2500 metres above sea level) at suitable locations is called 'Hill Seed'.
    Plain seed
    • The seed produced in plains at suitable locations is called 'plain seed'. Northern plains have emerged as an important source of potato seed production. The low aphid plains seed is in right physiological condition at the planting time and yields higher than the traditional hill grown seed.
    • Once healthy seed potatoes are introduced into the system of growing them during low Aphid period accompanied by a systematic insecticide application, roguing and removal of haulms before the aphids attain critical number and the re growth is checked, the health standards for the seed crop could be maintained for a number of generations. This system of seed potato production has been designated as 'Seed Plot Technique'.

Last modified: Friday, 13 January 2012, 12:26 AM