NATIONAL COORDINATED POTATO PROGRAMME
NARC, Islamabad
OBJECTIVES
To plan and coordinate the potato research activities in the provinces and NARC.
To conduct basic research on potato.
To screen germplasm.
To promote True Potato Seed (TPS) technology.
To implement seed strategy.
To improve the income of resource-poor farmers in potato based farming system.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POTATO CROP
Avoid late planting in autumn to escape from frost damage
Adoption of autumn to autumn cycle.
Quality seed production through seed plot techniques (Rouging)
Use of quality seed of high yielding varieties.
Use of proper plant protection measures especially against late blight. With preventative and curative fungicide.
Proper crop rotation to minimize soil born diseases.
Treat the seed tubers infected with black scurf with 3% boric acid just after harvest and before storing in the cold storage.
Use of balance fertilizer (NPK) along with micronutrient (Zinc 12.5 kg/ha at planting and boron 0.05%sol, three foliar sprays) and its application through banding method.
Germplasm Screening (GPS) Trials
It is regular activity of National Potato Programme and being conducted every year
Hybridization for development of new clones with desirable characters.
Multiplication and distribution of newly developed germplasm
Primary evaluation trials.
Secondary evaluation trials.
National uniform yield trials.
As many as 430 clones were planted at NARC during 2006-07 to check the performance in autumn season. On the basis of their better yield and overall performance, 65 clones were selected In secondary trial, 15 Dutch varieties were tested in replicated trial 75 promising clones were distributed to different research institutes/stations during 2005-2006.
True
Potato Seed (TPS)
TPS technology was found as a good complementary alternative to the traditional
seed because of low cost and free from viruses.
During 2005-06, 10 hybrid progenies were developed by NARC and were evaluated
under nursery trials. Four were found suitable for further evaluation at
farmers' field. Seed was provided to different research stations to conduct
on-farm trials during autumn 2006-07 (Table 1).
Three
different dates of sowing were tested at NARC. (September 20, 30 and October
10). October 10 was found the most suitable date for planting TPS.
Table 1. Different on-farm trials were carried out during autumn 2005- 2006
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RESOURCE PERSON:
M. Masood Mehmood |
National Coordinator |
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[ Last updated: March, 2008]
