IMPROVED VARIETIES OF POTATO IN INDIA

IMPROVED VARIETIES OF POTATO IN INDIA

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POTATO
Botanical name: Solanum tuberosum L.
Family: Solanaceae
Chromosome Number :2n=12 (Diploid)
2n=24 (Triploid)
Potato is the most important food crop of the world. It is being cultivated in the country for the last
300 years. For vegetable purposes, it has now become one of the most popular crops in India. Potato
is an economical food, as it provide a source of low cost energy to human diet. Potato is rich source
of starch, vitamins specially C and B
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and minerals. It possesses 20.6% carbohydrates, 2.1%
ofprotein, 0.3% fat, 1.1% crude fibre and 0.9% ash. It also contain a good amount of essential amino
acids.
Potatoes are used for several industrial purposes such as production of starch and alcohol. Potato
starch (farina) is used in laundries and sizing yard in textile mills. They are also used for the
production of dextrin and glucose. As a food product itself, they are converted into dried products
such as potato chips, sliced or shredded potatoes and potato flour etc.
Varieties - Varietal Programme
 The potato breeding programme in India was initiated in 1935 at the Potato breeding Station
(PBS), Shimla under the then Imperial (now Indian) Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi.
 The programme was subsequently expanded with the establishment of the Central Potato
research Institute (CPRI) in 1949.
 Initially the efforts were made to collect samples of potato cultures already under cultivation and
to assess the varietal situation in the country.
 The studies showed that there existed confusion regarding nomenclature and description of
potato varieties.
 Often the same variety was designated by different names in different regions.
 Different varieties with the same name were also common.
 During a period of nearly seven years from the establishment of the PBS, 494 samples of potato
varieties were collected from all parts of the undivided India. These were studied for various
morphologies.

So far 47 potato varieties have been bred for different agro-climatic regions of the country with
28 varieties alone for north Indian plains. Varieties have also been developed for north Indian
hills and other special problem areas viz. Sikkim, north Bengal hills and south Indian hills. Of
the 47 varieties developed, 19 possess multiple resistance to different biotic and abiotic stresses.
Besides, nine varieties are suitable for processing purposes. These are Kufri Chipsona-1, Kufri
Chipsona-2, Kufri Chipsona-3, Kufri Himsona, Kufri Frysona, Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Chandramukhi,
Kufri Lauvkar and Kufri Surya. All these varieties fall in three maturity groups, i.e. early (70-80
days),medium(90-100days) and late (110-120 days).The potato varieties developed by CPRI are
grown not only in India but also in several neighbouring countries. The variety Kufri

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Chandramukhi is grown in Afghanistan, Kufri Jyoti in Nepal and Bhutan, and Kufri Sindhuri in
Bangladesh and Nepal. Besides, five Indian hybrids are also commercially grown in Sri Lanka,
Madagascar, Mexico and Philippines.
Varieties
A large number of high-yielding varieties of potato suited to different agro-climatic conditions
have been evolved and released for cultivation on farmer’s fields. Characteristics of some of the
important new high yielding varieties are given below.
For Plains
Early varieties
Variety
Duration
(days)
Yield (t/ha) Special features
Kufri
Chandramukhi
80-90 25-30 The variety is
susceptible to early
blight
Kufri Alankar 75 (plains) 130
(hills)
35 Poor keeping
quality and ideal
for multiple
cropping
Kufri Shakti 95-110
Kufri Navtal (G-2524 90-100 20-25
Kufri Bahar 100-110 25-26

Kufri Badshah 120 25-30 Moderately
resistant to early
and late blight
Kufri sheetman 100-110 25 Drought tolerant
crop
Kufri Chamatkar 110-130 25-30 Resistant to early
blight and
susceptible to
mosasic and leaf
curl
Kufri Navjot 125-130 20 Resistance to late
blight

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Latest varieties of potato
Kufri Jawahar; Kufri Ashoka; Kufri sutlej; Kufri Pukhraj; Kufri Chipsona 1 (for making chips);
Kufri Chipsona 2 (for making chips); Kufri Giriraj; Kufri Anand.
The varieties recommended for different
states and zones are given below. State
Varieties
Madhya Pradesh Kufri Chandramukhi, Kufri Kissan, Kufri
Jawahar, Kufri Badshah, Kufri Neelmani,
Kufri Lauvkar
Maharashtra Kufri Chandramukhi, Kufri Kissan, Kufri
Kuber, Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Ashoka, Kufri
Red, Kufri Naveen, Kufri Lauvkar
Uttar Pradesh Kufri Kissan, Kufri Chamatkar, Kufri
Badshah, Kufri Bahar, Kufri Navtal,
Kufri Shakti, Kufri Kundan, Kufri
Seetman, Kufri Chandramukhi, Kufri
Ashoka, Kufri Jawahar, Kufri Jyoti, Kufri
Kundan, Kufri Deva, Kufri Sutlej, Kufri
Chipsona-1, Kufri Chipsona-2
Delhi Kufri Kissan, Kufri Badshah, Kufri
Bahar, Kufri Chandramukhi, Kufri
Alankar, Kufri Chamatkar
Himachal Pradesh Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Jeevan, Kufri Navtal,
Kufri Kundan, Kufri Chandramukhi,
Kufri Jawahar
Assam Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Naveen, Kufri Megha,
Kufri Khasigaro, Kufri Jeevan
Punjab and Haryana Kufri Chamatkar, Kufri Kissan, Kufri
Kuber, Kufri Chandramukhi, Kufri
Jawahar, Kufri Ashoka, Kufri Jyoti, Kufri
Sutlej, Kufri Badshah, Kufri Sindhuri
Rajasthan Kufri Chamatkar, Kufri Alankar, Kufri
Badshah, Kufri Bahar, Kufri Sindhuri,
Kufri Jeevan, Kufri Naveen, Kufri
Kanchan
Bihar Kufri Kissan, Kufri Kuber, Kufri Ashoka,
Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Red, Kufri
Chandramukhi
Gujarat Kufri Jawahar, Kufri Kuber, Kufri
Alankar, Kufri Pukhraj, Kufri Chamatkar,
Kufri Kissan

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Karnataka Kufri Jawahar, Kufri Jyoti, Kufri
Chandramukhi, Kufri Sindhuri, Kufri
Kuber, Kufri Alankar, Kufri Safed, Kufri
Anand, Kufri Badshah, Kufri Bahar,
Kufri Deva, Kufri Chamatkar


Meghalaya Kufri Naveen, Kufri Megha, Kufri
Ashoka, Kufri Kuber, Kufri Lalima,
Kufri Pukraj, Kufri Sutlej, Kufri
Chopsona-1, Kufri Chipsona-2
West Bengal Kufri Red, Kufri Naveen, Kufri
Kanchan, Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Lalima,
Kufri Badshah, Kufri Bahar, Kufri
Sindhuri, TPS C-3, HPS 1/13
Tamil Nadu and Nilgiri Hills Kufri Neelmani, Kufri Pukhraj, Kufri
Kundan, Kufri Chamatkar, Kufri Jyoti,
Kufri Neela, Kufri Navajat, Kufri
Kanchan, Kufri motum
Indian Plains Kufri Chandramukhi, Kufri Sheetman,
Kufri Badshah, Kufri Lalima, Kufri
Kissan, Kufri Pukhraj, Kufri Kuber,
Kufri Safed, Kufri Sindhuri, Kufri
Alankar, Kufri Sutlej, Kufri Jawahar,
Kufri Deva
Southern hills Kufri Swarna, Kufri Jyoti, Kufri
Chandramukhi, Kufri Giriraj, Kufri
Kundan, Kufri Jeevan, Kufri Kumar
Plateau region of Peninsular India Kufri Chandramukhi, Kufri Badshah,
Kufri Jawan, Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Kuber,
Kufri Pukhraj, Kufri Lauvkar
Northern, western and eastern hills Kufri Kundan, Kufri Sheetman, Kufri
Kumar, Kufri Giriraj, Kufri Navtal,
Kufri Lalima, Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Jeevan,
Kufri Kumar, Kufri Megha, Kufri
Naveen

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VARIETIES OF POTATO AND YEAR OF RELEASE AND THEIR ADAPTIBILITY

Commercial potato varieties released by C.P.R.L Shimla:
Sr.
No.
Variety Year of
release
Adaptability
1. Kufii Sindhuri 1967 Medium maturing, popular in North Indian Plains
2. Kufri Chandramukhi 1968 Early maturing for North Indian Plains and Plateau region of
Peninsular India
3. Kufri Jyoti 1968 Medium maturing for Southern hills, Early maturing for
Plateau of Peninsular India. Suitable for both rabi and kharif
seasons.
4. Kufri Dewa 1973 Late maturing for tarai area of Western U.P Medium maturing,
popular in North Indian Plains
5. Kufri Babar 1980 Medium maturing, popular in North Indian Plains
6. Kufri Lalirna 198,2 Medium maturing for North Eastern Plains
7. Kufri S \vaina 1985 Medium maturing for southern hills
8. Kufri Megha 1988 Late maturing for Meghalaya
9. Kufri Ashoka 1996 Early maturing for central and eastern U.P., Bihar and West
Bengal, to replace Kufri Chandramukhi
10. Kufri Jawahar 1996 Early maturing for Punjab, Haryana, M.P., Gujrat, and
Kamataka
11. Kufri Sultej 1996 Medium maturing for Punjab, Haryana, U.P., Bihar and M.P. to
replace Kufri Badshah and Kufri Bahar

Salient features of the varieties bred by the Central Potato Research Institute

Cultivar Yea of
Release
Tuber characters and reaction to biotic and
abiotic stress
Region of
adaptability
Kufri Kisan 1958 Large, round, white, deep eyes with prominent eye
brows
North Indian Plains
Kufri Kuber 1958 Medium, oval, tapering towards crown end, white,
medium deep eyes. Resistant to PLRV & immune to
North Indian plains
and Plateau region

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PVY
Kufri
Kumar
1958 Medium, oval, tapering towards heel end, white, fleet
eyes. Moderately resistant to late blight
North Indian hills
Kufri
Kundan
1958 Medium, round-oval, flattened, white, medium deep
eyes. Moderately resistant to late blight
North Indian hills
Kufri Red 1958 Medium, round, red colour in cortex, medium deep
eyes.
North eastern plains
Kufri Saved 1958 Medium, round, white, deep and picked red-purple
eyes.
North Indian plains
Kufri Neela 1963 Medium, round, white, medium deep eyes.
Moderately resistant to blight.
South Indian hills
Kufri
Sindhuri*
1967 Medium, round, red, deep eyes. Moderately resistant
to early blight and tolerant to PLRV. Slow rate of
degeneration. Can tolerate temperature and water
stress to some extent.
North Indian plains
Kufri
Alankar
1968 Large, oblong, white, fleet eyes, tubers turn purple
on exposure to light. Field immune to race "O" of
late blight.
North Indian plains
Kufri
Chamatkar
1968 Large, oval, slightly flattened, white fleet eyes. North Indian plains &
Plateau region
Kufri
Jeevan
1968 Medium, oval, white, fleet eyes. Moderately resistant
to early blight, field resistant to late blight and
resistant to wart.
North Indian hills
Kufri Jyoti* 1968 Large, oval, white, fleet eyes. Moderately resistant to
early and late blight, resistant to wart. Slow rate of
degeneration
North and South
Indian hills and North
Indian plains.
Kufri
Khasigaro
1968 Medium, round oval, white, deep eyes. Resistant to
late blight and moderately resistant to early blight.
North eastern hills.
Kufri
Naveen
1968 Medium, oval, white, fleet eyes. Field resistant to
late blight and immune to wart.
North eastern hills
Kufri
Neelamani
1968 Medium, oval, flattened, white, fleet eyes, tubers turn
purple on exposure to light. Moderately resistant to
late blight.
South Indian hills
Kufri
Sheetman
1968 Medium, oval, white, fleet eyes. Resistant to frost North western plains

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REFERRENCES
Central potato research institute CPRI SHIMLA BULLETIN
Central potato research institute Modipuram UP WEBSITE
WWW.POTATOPRO.COM
AGRIINFO.COM