The Punjab State Government Cabinet has approved Punjab Tissue Culture based Seed Potato rules, 2021 in the month of November 2021. This rule aims to develop the state of Punjab into a standard potato seed center of the country. With this decision, Punjab will be the first Indian state to have the option of certification based on tissue culture and will develop the Jalandhar Kapurthala belt in Punjab as an export center for potatoes around the country.
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Highlights
The Tissue Culture Seed Potato Commission advises the Government of Punjab on issues related to the application of the regulations. Labs or aeroponics or mesh house facilities used to make seed potatoes must be free of pests and pathogens. The used water must not have any impurities. Sanitation must be maintained, including air purity, the use of pure tissue quality chemicals, proper disposal of contaminants, and proper autoclaving of the culture. Aeroponics equipment installed for the production of tissue culture-based potato seeds should be approved by Shimla’s Central Potato Research Institute. The facility must be insect-free. Persons entering the facility must wear rubber boots or plastic boots. The plants used should be regularly tested for potato virus X, potato virus M, the role virus of potato leaves and potato virus Y.
The soil used should be free of pests and pathogens and pests, cyst-forming nematodes and warts, black scurfs as well as common scabs.
About Field Inspection
One need to perform at least 4 tests. The first check should be performed 30-35 days after the mini tubers are planted. The second check is 60-65 days after the tubers are planted. The haulm denotes the stem or stalks. The fourth check is done after 10 days of cuttings.
About Labelling
Seed tubers are delivered in a sealed container. The container label should contain information such as seed class, producer name, phone number, address, email, variety, batch number, approval authority stamp as well as signature.
Benefits of Tissue Culture based Seed Potato rules
The rules help make Punjab the center of standard potato seeds in the country. It helps to achieve much needed agricultural diversification. This will increase the acreage of potatoes from 1 hectare to 40,000 tons. It will also lead to the development of the Jalandhar Kapurthala belt as a potato export center.
About Seed Potatoes
Seed potatoes are potatoes cultivated for replanting. In other words, potatoes are grown until they sprout. For example, suppose 5 sprouts are generated. Now each of those five shoots is transferred to sprout five different type of potato plants.