Potato (Solanum tuberosum) a tetraploid with 48 chromosomes belogs to family Solanaceae. It is also known as King of vegetable/Poor’s Man’s Friend. The potato became the first vegetable to be grown in space in october 1995 by NASA and the university of wisconsin, madison, created the technology with the goal of feeding astronauts on long space voyages, and eventually, feeding future space colonies. Potato Research program (PRP) is establish under Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC) in 1995 to carry out research and technology generation activities 11 varieties of potato released and 3 varieties registered And 2 True Potato Seed (TPS) progenies are registered .

1. POTATO IMPROVEMENT
Prepared & compilled by
Binod Bohara
FWU,FoA B.sc Ag.
2nd batch tikapur,kailali

2. Introduction
 Potato (Solanum tuberosum) a tetraploid with 48
chromosomes belogs to family Solanaceae.
 It is also known as King of vegetable/Poor’s Man’s
Friend.
 Potato is the world's third most significant food crop
in human consumption, after rice and wheat.
 Potato is a self pollinated crop but is vegetatively
propagated.
 It ranks 1st in terms of productivity(16.73 mt/ha) &
4th in terms of production area(198,788 ha) in nepal.
(Krishi diary 2079)

3. Introduction
 The potato became the first vegetable to be grown in
space in october 1995 by NASA and the university of
wisconsin, madison, created the technology with the
goal of feeding astronauts on long space voyages,
and eventually, feeding future space colonies.
 It is grown in Nepal ranging from sea level to 4400
MASL.
 It is an important source of starch.
 It is a rich source of body building substances such as
carbohydrates, vitamins (B1, B2, B6 and C), minerals
(Ca, P and Fe) and protein

4. Origin and genetics
 It is native of South America and the Andes Mountain
(modern- day southern Peru and northwestern
Bolivia).
 The Inca Indians in Peru were the first to cultivate
potatoes around 8,000 BC to 5,000 B.C.
 In 1536 Spanish Conquistadors conquered Peru,
discovered the flavors of the potato, and carried them
to Europe.
 Sir Walter Raleigh introduced potatoes to Ireland in
1589 on the 40,000 acres of land near Cork.
 It took nearly four decades for the potato to spread to
the rest of Europe.

5.  Solanum is one of the largest genera of vascular
plants with between 1000 and 1500 species, 1000 of
which are speculated to be of American origin
(Hunziker, 1979).
 Potato is an autopolyploid crop.
 Depending on a haploid number of 12, the potato
has a number of ploidy levels ranging from diploid
(2n=24) to hexaploid (6n=72) (Spooner et al, 2004).
 cultivated varieties are autotetraploid (2n=4x=48)
having four homologues per chromosome

6. Varieties
1st released
variety
(2049)
Kufri jyoti (resistant to late blight),
K. Sindhuri (moderately resistant to early blight),
Dejire (susceptible to blight)
Early
ripening
Khumal rato (95 days), Dejire (90-120 days)
Late ripening Khumal laxmi (120-140 days)
High yielding Janakdev (39.4 mt/ha)
Low yielding Dejire (18mt/ha)

7. Other variety
Khumal seto-1(resistant to viral disease),
khumal rato-2(resistant to virus),
Kufri bahar (susceptible to all major diseases),
Khumal ujayal, khumal upahar, Khumal bikash
Cardinal, Kufri badhshah, Tharu local, Jumli local,
Ktm. Local,
CFM-69.1, GI-1124, IPI-8, TPS-1, TPS-2, NPI-106

8. True potato seeds (TPS) varieties
• 1st used : China (1960s)
• In Nepal : 1978, Research started : 1985 A.D
• GoN, Ministry of Ag. Devt., Ag. Information &
commercialization centre recommended TPS
varieties:
HPS II/67
HPS 7/67
HPS 1/13
• All TPS more resistant to late blight .

9. Breeding objectives
 High tuber yield
 Early maturing
 Responsiveness to fertilizer
 Red/purple skin, good uniformity of tuber size &
shape
 Better keeping quality (resistance/tolerance against
shrinkage, rottage etc)
 Better quality tubers
 Stability of the production
 Resistance to insects/pest

10.  Photoperiod insensitivity
 Good storability, slow degeneration rate, wide adaptability
and acceptable cooking quality
 Good chipping quality
 Tolerance to other biotic & abiotic stresses
 Resistance to
i. Late blight ii. Early blight iii. Charcoal rot
iv. Common scab v. Bacterial wilt vii. white grub
viii. red ants xi. potato tuber moth x. leaf miner flies
xi. Viral disease and nematodes

11. Method of Breeding in potato
Introductions
Clonal selection
 mass selection
Hybridisation followed by selection: backcross
breeding, pedigree selection.
Heterosis breeding
Mutation breeding
Genetic engineering
Tissue culture
Somaclonal variation

12. Research Activities
 The first official attempt to improve potato production was
initiated in 1962 under a joint program between Nepal and
India.
 National Potato Development Program (NPDP) was incepted
in 1972 at Kirtipur, Kathmandu with a nationwide mandate to
conduct potato research and development activities.
 Two potato farms, one at Jaubari, Ilam and another at Nigale,
Sindhupalchowk, were established during 1980s.
 In 1974, NPDP was relocated to Khumaltar and linkages were
established with International Potato Center (CIP) Lima, Peru,
which is still effective.

13. Research Activities
 Potato Research program (PRP) is establish under Nepal
Agriculture Research Council (NARC) in 1995 to carry out
research and technology generation activities
 11 varieties of potato released and 3 varieties registered
And 2 True Potato Seed (TPS) progenies are registered .
 More than 150 potato genotypes (local and exotic) are
maintained in-vitro for research and production purpose and
similarly in the field conditions.
 Molecular characterization of 70 (released and local)
genotypes of potato accomplished

14. Research Activities
 NPRP, three different clones namely PRP 25861.1, CIP
393073.179 and CIP 395112.32 are in pipeline.
 PRP 25861.1 is near to release as the proposal is
already submitted to the concern authority (Clones
namely PRP 25861.1, Khumal Ujjwol and Khumal
Upahar are recommended for processing for chips).
 NPRP produces about 200,000 minitubers of
different varieties every year. These PBS are
distributed to seed growers through National Potato
Development Programme/DOA for further
multiplication

15. Released and Registered Varieties of Potato
S.N Varieties Year Source Domin Remarks
1 Kufri Sindhuri 2049 India Terai Released
2 Kufri Jyoti 2049 India Mid and High hills Released
3 Desire 2049 Netherla
nd
Terai-High hills Released
4 Khumal Seto 1 2056 CIP Mid and High hills Released
5 Khumal Rato 2 2056 CIP Terai Released
6 Janak Dev 2056 CIP Terai- Hills Released
7 Khumal Laxmi 2065 CIP Mid Hills Released
8 IPY 8 2065 CIP Terai and Inner Terai Released
9 Khumal Upahar 2071 CIP Terai Released
10 Khumal Ujwal 2071 CIP Mid hills Released
11 Khumal Bikas 2075 NPRP Mid and High Hills Released
12 Cardinal 2076 Netherla
nd
Terai-High Hills Registered
13 Rosita 2076 Switzerla
nd
High Hills Registered
14 MS 42-3 2076 CIP Terai and Mid Hills Registered
15 TPS 1 2071 CIP Hills Registered
16 TPS 2 2071 CIP Hills Registered

16. Released Potato Varieties
Khumal Bikash

17. TPS 1
TPS 2
Registered TPS Varieties

18. Refrences
• https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Giri-
Subedi/publication/350877992_Status_prospects_of_Pot
ato_Research_in_Nepal/links/6077f7f82fb9097c0ce56f5
0/Status-prospects-of-Potato-Research-in-Nepal
• http://elibrary.narc.gov.np/?r=5484(Proceedings of the
National Potato Working Group Workshop,2017 NPRP.
• https://www.slideshare.net/SatyaprakasSahoo/br
eeding-methods-of-potato
• National Center for Potato, Vegetable and Spice
Crop Development -National Center for Potato,
Vegetable and Spice Crops Development
(vdd.gov.np)