Gwalior Potato

It is perhaps not known to many that Bharat is the second largest producer of potato (Solanum tuberosum) in the world. The top five states with the highest area under cultivation and production are Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

This rabi crop is grown extensively in the potato clusters of Indore, Chhindwara, Gwalior, Ujjain, Shajapur, Sagar and Dewas. As Gwalior district has the ideal climatic and soil conditions, scientists from the ICAR – Central Potato Research Institute, Maharajpura, Gwalior have provided the much – needed technological assistance to small and marginal farmers by supplying over 50 varieties of potato seeds.

The Shimla – based ICAR – Central Potato Research Institute has come up with an ingenious plan to use aeroponic technology to cultivate potato to cater to the rising demand for potato and potato seeds in the country which is now available to the farmers of Madhya Pradesh. This will help them save a substantial amount in investment and labour and cultivate disease – free and high – yielding potato varieties.

Native and hybrid varieties like Kufri Chandramukhi, Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Sindhuri, Kufri Chipsona – 1, Kufri Sutlej and Kufri Lauvkar among others are grown in the clay loam and loam soil in this district. A considerable portion of the annual produce is sold locally and in the markets of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Odisha and Haryana.

Potato chips, potato flour, namkeen, dehydrated potato wedges and fries, frozen potato products and potato starch are some of the value – added products prepared in the potato processing industries in the state.

Potato is used in the production of alcohol, glucose and dextrin while potato starch is used in the textile industry.

This cash crop has empowered the rural economy and the establishment of more factories under the central schemes will generate employment on a large scale at the local level. Projects to grow sugar – free potato (Kufri Chipsona – 3), exclusive chips – making potato (Kufri Frysona), heat – tolerant and/or disease – and pest – resistant short – duration adapted potato varieties for both rabi and kharif seasons are underway.

Written by Lakshmi Subramanian