Advances in Research on Potato Seed Production
摘要
Potato ranks third among food crops in terms of importance for human consumption. India ranks second globally in potato production. This is called the friend of a poor man. It is an inexpensive crop to grow and the principal source of glucose, frequently used in place of grains. Together with amino acids (tryptophan, isoleucine, and leucine) it also contains vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, pyridoxine, and ascorbic acid), protein, and minerals (calcium, phosphorus, and iron). The most crucial component in the production of potatoes is their seed. Higher rate of seed (2.5–3.0 tons/ha), minimum multiplication rate, increasing viral deterioration, transportation, and storage are the main challenges facing the production of potato seed in the country. Also, a significant portion of the expense of producing potatoes comes from potato seed alone, i.e., it alone accounts for 40–50% of the total production of potato cost, which puts back enormous amounts of potentially edible food in the soil. Associated problems include the poor multiplication rate of new improved potato varieties and the frequent need to replace seeds owing to degeneration. Potato researchers are always working to create novel technologies that would enable the rapid replication of the original breeder’s seed of the released varieties in enough numbers to fulfill our nation’s needs. To increase seed quality and speed up healthy disease-free seed multiplication, major global potato growers have switched from traditional to high-tech seed production processes. Many of the issues surrounding the production of potato seeds can be solved by new inventions, especially in tropical and subtropical nations.