Giridhari Subedi¹*, Prakash Bhattarai¹ , Janaki Devi Neupane¹ , Neela Paudel¹ , Bihani Thapa¹ , Birendra Bahadur Rana¹ , Anuja Rijal1 , Raj Kumar Giri² , Janardan Gautam³ , Chandrakant Timalsina⁴ and Samid Ahamad<sup>5

1</sup>National Potato Research Program, Khumaltar, Lalitpur. ²Horticulture Research Station, Rajikot, Jumla ³Agriculture Research Station, Jaubari, Ilam.
⁴Directorate of Agriculture Research, Lumle, Kaski
⁵Zinger Research Program, Kapurkot, Salyan
*Corresponding author’s email: girisubedi2003@yahoo.com
*ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4425-8295

Abstract

Potato is one of the most important vegetables in the terai and mid-hills while staple food in the high-hills of Nepal. Eleven potato varieties have been released and five varieties have been registered, a package of practices for ware and seed potato production technology suitable for different agro-ecological zones have been recommended by National Potato Research Program. Despite of the several attempts and achievements, production of potato is still far below to its potentiality as compared to neighboring countries primarily due to non-availability of adequate amount of quality seed tubers. Most of the farmers have been growing locally available poor quality degenerated seed tubers for many years without replacement. Availability of quality seed could be increased significantly by production of seed tubers utilizing naturally virus free areas of high-hills of Nepal through CBSP program. Technical capacity of the seed potato growers and technicians was empowered through practical trainings. Eight Rustic stores were constructed at CBSP sites of Ilam, Rasuwa, Lamjung, Parbat, Baglung, Rolpa, Jumla and Achham districts. Disease free source seed of recommended potato varieties were provided to the selected CBSP Groups & Cooperatives. The result revealed that seed tuber yield of 1370 kg BS1 and 83172 kg BS3 of Janakdev, Khumal Ujjal, Desire, Khumal Seto 1, Kufri Jyoti, Cardinal, Khumal Upahar and Desire was produced during F.Y. 2019/2020. In 2020/202021, tuber yield of 3548 kg BS1, 6545 kg BS2 and 192696 kg BS4 of Jumla local, Khumal Ujjal, Khumal Upahar, Khumal Seto 1, Kufri Jyoti, Cardinal, Janak Dev, Desire, Khumal Bikas was produced. Similarly, tuber yield of 3799 kg BS1 of Desire, Khumal Bikas, Janak Dev, Cardinal, Khumal Ujjal, Khumal Upahar and Kufri Jyoti; tuber yield of 15422 kg BS2 of Desire, Jumla Local, Cardinal, Khumal Ujjal, Khumal Upahar, Khumal Seto 1, Kufri Jyoti; and tuber yield of 23288 kg BS3 of Desire, Janak Dev, Cardinal, Khumal Ujjal, Khumal Upahar, Khumal Seto 1 and Kufri Jyoti was produced by different CBSP Groups and Cooperatives during F.Y. 2021/2022. Thus, seed replacement rate in the intervention areas has increased significantly through establishment of quality seed potato production, storage and distribution system.