IMPHAL, Jun 16: In what could be termed as a glorious achievement, two senior researchers of Regional Potato Fram, Mao have successfully produced potato mini-tubers of potato variety Kufri Girdhari on June 15.
AS Ningmi, Additional Director(Horticulture), Department of Horticulture & Soil Conservation, Manipur, N Premananda Singh, Deputy Director, Department of Horticulture & Soil Conservation, Manipur, staff members and SRFs witnessed the significant achievement.
SRFs S Ringya and P Ambika Devi were appointed in 2013 afterwhich the duo started working on micro-propagation under the guidance of Th Nimaichand Singh, Plant Pathologist and also the ex-Deputy Director of the Department of Horticulture & Soil Conservation, Manipur.
S Ringya and P Ambika were further trained at CPRI, Shimla in 2014 and in CPRS, Meghalaya in 2015.
In February 2016, micro-plants produced in vitro condition were planted again in transgenic green house in the first week of March. The matured plants were finally harvested on June 15. The harvested tuberlets were healthy and bore a true potato variety of Kufri Girdhari.
The variety was first released by CPRI, Shimla in 2008. On average basis, this medium yielded 300-350 quintals/hectare . Therefore, it is a moment of great achievement for Regional Potato Farm, Mao. The achievement can lead to major scope of basic seed(breeder seed) potato production in the years to come. It has been informed that the Regional Potato Farm, Mao would be able to produce quality seed potatoes that will meet the requirements of potato growing farmers of the North East States.
