POTATO

Scientific Name
:
Solanum tuberosum L.
Family : Solanaceae
Centre of
Origin :
South America
Introduction:
Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is an important foo crop of the !orl. "t is use
as #egetable$ stoc% fee an in inustries for manufacturing starch$ alcoholic
be#erages an other processe proucts.
Potato$ an important temperate crop$ has been aopte !ell for culti#ation
uner sub tropical conitions. &he tuber bearing Solanum occur naturally o#er a !ie
area in South an Central America arranging in istribution from '(O N to )*+O S
latitue. &he t!o main centers of i#ersity of the group are: i. &he high lans of
Central ,e-ico an ii. &he Anes of southern Peru$ .uli#ia an Noerth/0estern
Argentina. &he culti#ate potato Solanum tuberosum$ originate aroun la%e
&iticcaca in .oli#ia an in Southern Chile through chromosome oubling of iploi
species$ S. Stenotomum or its hybri !ith another closely relate species$ !hich is
un%no!n.
&he potato plant !as selecte as an article of foo by ,ayas$ "ncas an 1e
"nians in South an Central America. Potato !as introuce in 2urope by na#igators
in later part of the )3th century an it reache "nia in the )4th century. Potato !as
earlier thought to be confine mainly to the e#elope nations. "n fact$ the
concentration of potato prouction is shifting from 2urope to Asia an other parts of
the e#eloping !orl at an outstaning pace. "n )53)$ potatoes$ prouce in
e#eloping countries accounte for about ))6 of the global output. 7e#eloping
countries toay prouce aroun '46 of the !orl8s potatoes. No other ma9or foo
crop has e-perience such a shift in the location of prouction o#er this perio. &his
spectacular gro!th in e#eloping countries affirms its increasing importance as a
source of foo for gro!ing populations$ rural employment an income. "n orer of
importance for foo prouction$ potato ran%$ 3th in the e#eloping countries$ *th in
the e#elope countries$ *th in all !orl an 'r in "nia. &he total potato prouction
in "nia is about :+ million tons from about ).' million lectures. ,ore than ;(6 of
this prouce is use for !are purposes an almost 5(6 of the rest of prouce is use
as see potatoes mainly to meet the omestic mar%et. Potato accounts for about
(.3+6 of the total croppe area of the country. "t is gro!n in "nia in almost all the
states an uner #ery i#erse conitions. Nearly ;(6 of potatoes are gro!n in #ast
"no/<angetic plains of north "nia uring short !inter ays from October to ,arch.
About ;6 area uner potato culti#ation lies in the hills !here the crop is gro!n
uring long summer ays of April to October. Plateau regions of south/2astern$
control an peninsular "nia$ constitute about 36 area !here potatoes are gro!n as a
rainfe =harif crop uring the rainy season (>uly to October) or as irrigate rabi crop
uring !inter (No#ember to ,arch). "n a small area of about *((( ha co#ering
mainly the Nilgiri an Palni hills of &amil Nau$ the crop is gro!n roun the year
both as irrigate an rainfe crop. &he states of ?ttar Praesh$ 0est .engal an .ihar
account for nearly 4'6 of the area uner the crop in "nia an ;(6 of the total
prouction.
Potato is also an important crop in the North 2astern region of "nia
comprising the states of Assam$ Arunachal Praesh$ ,i@oram$ Nagalan$ ,anipur$
,eghalaya$ &ripura an Si%%im. N2A region co#ers almost 56 of the area of the
country an about *.+6 of its population. &he analysis of potato prouction figures
for #arious states sho! that though the North 2astern 1egion has about 5.'6 area$
they account for only about *.'6 of the prouction$ !hich is lo!est for any regional
grouping. &he lo! prouction is the result of #arious biotic an abiotic factors such
as lac% of Buality sees of suitable #arieties$ gro!ing of crops uner rainfe situation$
non aoption of recommene pac%age of practices by gro!ers$ lac% of
infrastructural facilities li%e col storage an pre#alence of puts an iseases etc. &he
state of Assam has the ma-imum area (appro-. 44$(((ha) an prouction (appro-.
3$:($((( tonnes) uner potato crop !ithin the North 2ast. &he highest proucti#ity of
this crop in the N2A region is in &ripura !here in it is gro!n in an area of +.*
thousan ha !ith the proucti#ity of )5.3; tonnes per ha.
&he lo!est proucti#ity of about *.)3 tonnes per ha is obser#e in Si%%im. "n
Si%%im$ potato is mainly gro!n for see. About 5(6 of the total prouce goes for
see purpose. Si%%im potato is famous for see. ?nli%e see potato gro!n in
Aimachal Praesh$ !hich is a main source of hills see potato$ a consierable
significance is attache to Si%%im see potatoes. &his is because of the fact that
Aimachal see potato cannot be use as see in the plains in the same year an can
be use only in the plains in the same year an can be use only in the follo!ing
season. "n Aimachal Praesh$ see potato is har#este in October/No#ember an
potato nees at least 3( ays to brea% ormancy an hence the potato so!ing time in
the plains is o#er. 0hereas$ the see potatoes of Si%%im is har#este in August/
September an reaches to the plains by No#ember an by that time the ormancy
perio is also o#er an can be plante in the same season itself. &he most important
see potato gro!ing bloc%s of Si%%im are 1ibi$ .hareng$ O%hray$ &hembong$
&i%pur$ .uria%hop$ Sna%hu$ .ega$ ,anebong$ Sopa%ha an Co%sum in !est istrict$
Dalu%$ Phaemchen$ <nathang an &o%che in the 2ast istrict$ 1a#angla an
7amthang in the South 7istrict an 7echung$ &hangu an Lachen in the North
istrict.
Potato is a highly nutritious foo. "t pro#ies carbohyrates$ proteins$
minerals$ Eitamin C$ a number of . group #itamins an high Buality ietary fiber
Potatoes yiel about 54 =ilo calories per )(( gm fresh !eight$ !hich is much less
than cereals. &he net protein utili@ation or biological #alue of potato protein (about
4)6 that of !hole egg)$ is better than that of !heat (+'6)$ mai@e (+*6)$ peas (*;6)$
beans (*36) an is comparable to co!8s mil% (4+6).
Nutritive value of potato (per 100 gm edible portion)
Nutrients Content
2ible portion ;+6
,oisture 4*.4( gm
Protein ).3( gm
Fat (.)( gm
,inerals (.3( gm
Carbohyrates ::.3( gm
2nergy 54.(( %cal
Calcium )(.(( mg
Phosphorus *(.(( mg
"ron (.4( mg
Carotene :*.(( mg
&hiamine (.)( mg
1ibofla#in (.() mg
Niacin ).:( mg
Eitamin C )4.( mg
Botany:
Potato belongs to genus Solanum in the family Solanaccae. &he commercial
culti#ate potato is botanically %no!n as Solanum tuberosum L. Potato is an annual
herbaceous plant$ mainly reprouce #egtati#ely by means of tubers an sometimes
by botanical sees i.e. &rue Potato sees. &he tubers are unergroun stems an from
than ne! shoots are prouce. &he stem is erect in the early stage by becomes
spreaing an prostrate later on. &he lea#es are compoun an alternate$ irregularly
o pinnate. .us forme in the a-ile of the lea#es prouce rhi@omes !hich elongate
rapily an e#elop tubers at their e-tremities. &he tuber is morphologically a flesh
stem bearing bus an eyes in the a-ile of small scale li%e lea#es. &he potato flo!er
contains + sepals$ + petals an a t!o calle o#ary !ith a single style an bi/lobe
stigma. &he inflorescence is cymose. &he petals are tubular an unite. &he stems are
alternate an attache to the corolla tube. &he sees are prouce in a berry flo!ers
are self/pollinate but also cross pollination ta%e place by !in or insect.
". Potato gro!ing @ones:
North "nia Aills: &his @one co#ers hills of Aimachal Praesh$ >ammu an
=ashmir$ ?ttar Praesh$ ,eghalaya$ Arunachal Praesh$ Nagalan$ ,anipur$
,i@oram an &ripura. &his @one is further subi#ie into t!o @ones.
North !estern an Central Aimalayas: this @one co#ers the hills of Aimachal
Praesh$ >ammu an =ashmir an ?ttar Praesh.
North 2astern Aills: &his @one comprises hills of ,eghalayas$ ,anipur$
&ripura$ Nagalan$ Arunachal Praesh an ,i@oram. :. North "nian Plains:
,ore than ;(6 of potato is culti#ate in this @one. &he crop is gro!n uner
short ay conitions an suffers from mi ay !ater stress. &his @one is
further i#ie into three sub/@ones.
North 0estern Plains: "t co#ers Pun9ab$ Aaryana$ 1a9asthan an parts of
neighboring states.
North central Plains: "t consists of !estern ?ttar Praesh an ,ahya
Praesh.
North 2astern Plains: &his @one consists of plains of ?ttar Praesh$ .ihar$
0est .engal$ Assam an Orissa.
Special Problem areas: &he special problem areas are face !ith specific
problems of potato culti#ation not %no!n in other parts of the country. &hese
areas are:
Si%%im an North .engal Aills: &he area comprises of Si%%im an 7ar9eeling
Aills of 0est .engal. 0art cause by Synchytrium enobioticum is a special
problem in this area.
Plateau region: "t co#ers #ast areas of central an peninsular "nia. &his @one
consists of parts of <u9arat$ ,aharashtra$ ,ahya Praesh$ =arnata%a an
Orissa. 1e sany or fine te-ture bloc% cotton soils characteri@e this area.
.lac% soils e#elop crac%s on rying !hich e-posr the tubers to potato tuber
moth (P&,) an greening in sunlight.
South "nian Aills: &his @one comprise of the Southern hill @one in &amil
Nau. "nfestation by cyst nematoes (<loboera rostochiensis an <. pallia)
is a special problem of the area.
&he potato crop thri#es up to sno! line. &he hill areas because of almost
#irus free en#ironment offer goo scope for see potato inustry. Aimachal Praesh$
?.P$ hills an Si%%im pro#ie the bul% of the Aill see potato for the plains of "nia.
,ore than ;(6 potato in "nia is gro!n in sub/tropical uring !inter !hich
iffers than those pre#alent in potato season of temperate countries.
Agro/climatic peculiarities of gro!ing potatoes in sub/tropics.
Agroclimatic
parameter!
"ubtropical
countrie!
Temperate
countrie!
<ro!ing season 0inter Summer
&emperature
uring Planting
an har#esting
Aigh (planting:
:+/'(OCF
har#esting: )(/
:(OC)
Lo! ()+/:+OC at
both)
Crop uration 5(/)(( ays )+(/);( ays
Photoperio
uring gro!th
)(.' hoursGay )* hoursGay
,i ay !ater
stress
Prominent Absent
7ayGNight
temperatures
:+/'(OCG*/)+OC :+O CG)+OC
Frosting Common Absent
1esult
Lo! yiels$ less
ry matter an
more reucing
sugars
Aigh yiel$ high
ry matter an lo!
reucing sugars.