Tripura adopts apical rooted cuttings method to produce potato seeds

The department has set a target of producing 50,000 seeds of potato from the hi-tech greenhouse set up at the Nagicherra Agricultural Research Centre

The Horticulture Department of Tripura has adopted a new method of using apical-rooted cuttings to produce quality seeds for potato cultivation, according to the local news. In the northeastern state, the farmers usually import potato seeds from outside the state and are facing challenges due to poor productivity and pest infection.

To address the perennial problem in potato cultivation, the horticulture department has set up a hi-tech greenhouse to produce quality seeds by adopting apical rooted cutting, which has already become popular in Assam and Meghalaya.

Initially, the department has set a target of producing 50,000 seeds of potato from the hi-tech greenhouse set up at Nagicherra Agricultural Research Centre, 17 km from the state capital. The department has already roped in the International Potato Centre (CIP) in Peru. Apical cuttings are rooted transplants produced in a greenhouse from tissue culture plantlets.

Rather than allowing tissue culture plantlets to mature and produce mini tubers, cuttings are produced from the plantlets. Once rooted, the cuttings are transplanted into the field to produce seed tubers. Ghosh said the seeds will be distributed among the farmers to grow potatoes in their farmlands.

The department has set a target of