Strategy and status of potato breeding program
and variety release protocol in India
S K Luthra
Principal Scientist
Potato
• Belongs to the family Solanaceae
• The genus Solanum comprises 8 cultivated species and 2000 wild
relatives
• About 235 Solanum species tuberize
• The basic chromosome number of the genus Solanum is x = 12
• Ploidy level of potato species varies from 2x to 6x
• 73 % diploids, 4 % triploids, 15 % tetraploids , 2 % pentaploids and
6 % hexaploids
• Main tuber-bearing species: S. tuberosum ssp. tuberosum and S.
tuberosum ssp. andigena
• seven primitive cultivated species:
Solanum ajanhuiri, Solanum goniocalyx, Solanum phureja and
Solanum stenototum (all diploids);
Solanum chaucha and Solanum juzepczukii (triploid);
Solanum curtilobum (pentaploid)
Potatoes
• Originated in the environs of Lake Titicaca in the high Andean
region of South America probably 10,000 years ago.
• Till 16th century it was unknown to the people of Europe, Asia,
Africa and north America.
• Now potatoes became one of the most important food crop of the
world after rice, wheat and maize.
• Potatoes are being grown in wide variety of soils and climate in
nearly 150 countries.
• Introduced into India in the mid 17th century by Portuguese
traders or British missionaries.
European varieties were not successful in India
• The introduced European varieties were long-day adapted
• The multiplication of these varieties in Indian conditions was
accompanied by progressive accumulation of degenerative viral
diseases
• Physiological limitations on tuber storage and utilization in
hot/humid Indian summers
Agro-climatic conditions of growing potatoes in subtropical and temperate conditions
Parameters
Growing season
India
Winter
Temperature
during High
planting and harvesting
Planting:
25-320C
Harvesting: 10-200C
Europe/America
Summer
Low
Planting: (15-250C)
Harvesting: Less than 200C
Day & night temp. during
crop season
Day : 25-32 0C
Night : 3-15 0C
Day :
Night :
20-25 0C
5-20 0C
Crop duration (d)
Short (60-100)
Long (150-180)
Photoperiod
10 hrs/day
14 hrs/day
Frosting
Common
Absent
Post harvest handling
Difficult (high temps.)
Easy (low temps.)
Result
Low yields, less dry
High yields, high dry
matter, and more reducing matter, and low reducing
sugars
sugars
Indigenous and exotic potato varieties/samples in
India (Pushkarnath, 1969)
Indigenous varieties/samples
Salient features
Agra Red, Chamba Red, Coonoor
White, Coonoor Red, Darjeeling Red
Round, Desi, Dhantauri, Gola Type A,
Gola Type B, Gola Type C, Phulwa,
Phulwa Purple Splashed, Red Long
Kidney, Sathoo, Shan and Silbilati
Heat and drought tolerant, therefore
cultivated predominantly in the Indian
plains; tolerant to degenerative
viruses;
due
to
physiological
advantage can be stored in country
stores during hot Indian summers
Exotic varieties
Salient features
Ally, Arran Counsal, Ben Cruachan,
Craig’s Defiance, Dunbar Cavalier,
Great Scot, Italian White Round, Late
Carman, Magnum Bonum, Majestic,
Northern Star, President, Raeburn’s
Gregor Cups, Red Rock, Royal
Kidney and Up-to-Date
Long-day adopted; therefore suitable
for the Indian hills only; multiplication
was characterized with progressive
accumulation of degenerative viral
diseases; physiological limitation on
tuber storage and utilization in hot
Indian summers
Potato breeding development in India
•
In India, potato breeding programme was initiated in 1935 at the Potato
Breeding Station, Shimla.
•
Regular breeding programme was started in 1949 with the establishment of
the Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) at Patna, Bihar.
•
Headquarter of the CPRI was later on shifted to Shimla (1956) in order to
facilitate hybridization and maintenance of seed health.
•
The major breakthrough in potato improvement programme came in 1963
with the development of “Seed Plot Technique”, which made it possible to
raise, evaluate, select and multiply breeding material under disease free
conditions in plains.
•
This led to the development of a system, wherein crossing was attempted
in the hills and raising of seedling, evaluation and maintenance of
segregating population was done in the plains.
•
This approach yielded rich dividends both for potato improvement and
potato seed production in the country.
•
All varieties released by the CPRI carry the prefix ‘KUFRI’ as a memento to
the place of hybridization.
Potato growing regions in India
Potato growing regions and their varietal requirements in India
Region
States
Potato seasons
Varietal requirement
ZONES
North Indian Plains
North Western Haryana, Punjab and
Plains
Rajsthan
Autumn (October –
January/February)
Spring (Jan –
April//May)
Short day adapted, early
bulking, moderately resistant
to late blight and frost, slow
rate of degeneration.
North Central
Plains
Northwestern districts of
Madhya Pradesh and
western Uttar Pradesh
Autumn (October February)
Short day adapted, medium
maturing, moderately resistant
to late blight, slow rate of
degeneration.
North Eastern
Plains
Plains of Assam, Bihar,
North eastern Madhya
Pradesh, Orissa,
Eastern Uttar Pradesh
and West Bengal
Autumn (November
- March)
Short day adapted, early
bulking, moderately resistant
to late blight, slow rate of
degeneration, red skinned
medium to small sized tubers
(Bihar, MP, Orissa and UP) or
white medium tubers (Assam
and West Bengal).
Region
States
Potato seasons
Varietal requirement
ZONES
North Indian Hills
North Western
Hills
Southern Jammu and
Kashmir and Himachal
Pradesh
Summer (AprilSeptember)
Long day adapted, resistant to
late blight.
North Central
Hills
Hills of Uttarakhand
Summer (April –
August /September)
Long day adapted, resistant to
late blight and bacterial wilt.
North Eastern
Hills
Hills of Arunachal Pradesh,
Manipur, Meghalaya,
Mizoram, Nagaland and
Tripura
SpringJanuary/Februar
y- May/June)
Autumn (August –
November /December)
Long day adapted, resistant to
late blight and bacterial wilt.
SPECIAL PROBLEM AREAS
North Bengal
Hills and
Sikkim
North Bengal hills and
Sikkim
Autumn (September December);
Spring (January June)
Medium maturing, resistant to
late blight, immune to wart,
red skinned tubers.
Plateau Region
and peninsular
India
Southern parts of Bihar,
Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra
Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra and Orissa
Kharif (July September) and Rabi
(November - February)
Early bulking, ability to
tuberise under high
temperatures, resistant to
bacterial wilt, tuber moth and
mites, slow rate of
degeneration.
South Indian
Hills
Hills of Tamil Nadu
Summer (April - Augt);
Autumn (Sept - Dec)
Spring (Jan-May)
Early bulking, resistant to late
blight and cyst nematodes.
Potato Breeding
• Cultivated potato is tetraploid and highly heterozygous.
• Heterosis is observed on crossing diverse parents.
• Breeding of potato involves hybridization between identified
parents and selection of superior clones from the progeny.
• The genetic constitution of the genotype obtained following
hybridization is fixed in seedling stage.
• Due to vegetative propagation the genetic constitution of potato
genotype with all its intra- and inter-locus interactions responsible
for its phenotypic expression are maintained in the clonal
generations.
•
Hence, a clone if perceived desirable can be multiplied for
commercial cultivation even though initially it may be present as a
single plant.
GERMPLASM COLLECTION/EVALUATION
 Collection
 Field/Glass house maintenance
 Evaluation
Selection for
• Vigorous plant type
• Short duration
• Desirable tuber attributes
• Early bulking
• High tuber yield, tuber number & average tuber
weight
• High dry matter
• Good keeping quality
• Processing attributes
• Late blight resistance
SELECTION OF PARENTS
•
The potato breeding programmes depends
mainly on the identification of promising
parental lines for making desired crosses and
selection of superior genotypes from the
progenies.
•
More than 50 traits should combine in ideal
potato variety and this complicates the choice
of parents for production of such progeny.
Requirement of potato varieties for different purposes (Luthra et al., 2004)
Characters
Use requirements
Table potatoes
Boiled
Processing
Baking
French fries
Chips
Tuber shape
Long-oval/round
Long-oval/round
Long-oval (>3 inch)
Round (2.5-3.3 inch)
Skin color
White/yellow/red
White/yellow /red
White/ yellow
White/ yellow
Eye depth
Shallow/ medium
Shallow/ medium
Shallow
Shallow
Flesh color
White/yellow
White/yellow
White/ yellow
White/ yellow
Texture
Waxy
Mealy
Mealy
Mealy
Uniformity
High
High
High
High
Defects
Minimum
Minimum
Minimum
Minimum
Dry matter (%)
18-20
>20
>20
>20
Reducing sugars*
-
-
<200mg
<100mg
Phenols
Less
Less
Less
Less
Glycoalkaloids *
< 15mg
< 15mg
< 15mg
< 15mg
Keeping quality
Good
Good
Good
Good
Damage
resistance
High
High
High
High
*mg/100g fresh tuber weight
Quality requirements for processing
Morphological attributes
Shape
Size
Internal defects
External defects
Biochemical attributes
Dry matter
Reducing sugars
Phenol contents (below 0.02 %)
 Tuber shape and size are important for Chips and French Fries, however, they are
not important for flakes, granules and dice/cubes.
 High dry matter content (>20%) in potato tubers results in higher yield of
processed products with lower energy and lesser oil consumption.
 Low reducing sugars (<0.1% on Fresh wt basis) results in lighter and better colour
of processed products.
 No enzymatic browning
 The glycoalkaloid content should be <20 mg/100 g Fresh wt
QUALITY REQUIREMENTS FOR
DIFFERENT PRODUCTS
Potato powder
: High dry matter (>20%)
Potato Flakes
: High dry matter content (>20%)
Frozen French fries : Shape: Oblong,
Size: > 3 inches, Dry
matter : >20%, Reducing Sugars: < 0.02%
Chips
: Shape: Round, Size: 50-90mm, Dry matter :
>20%, Reducing Sugars : <0.1%
Alcohol
: Even potato wastes can be used
Potato Genetic Resources
Indian varieties/hybrids
285
Exotic
Tuberosum: 1750
Andigena: 803 (core: 78)
Wild Species
1082 of 118 species
Total
3924
Nearly 14,000 accessions in CIP gene bank
Nearly 6000 accessions in US potato gene bank
Nearly 1500 accessions in Commonwealth potato collection
Potential parents for general breeding programmes
•
•
•
•
•
Temperate long days (hills)
Yield and LB resistance
CP nos: 1187, 1890, 1932, 1982, 2001, 2003, 2030, 2159, 2173, 2180,
2399, 3171 and 3290
Early maturity and LB resistance
CP nos. 1346, 1382, 1604, 1664*, 1670*, 1718* 1724 and 2018
(* immune to PVX & PVY)
Sub-tropical short days (plains)
Early autumn
CP nos. 1588, 1691, 1685,1850, 2058, 2284, 2287, 2351, 2364, 2368,
2369, 2378 and 3359
Main autumn
CP nos. 1921, 1985, 2287, 2292, 2294, 2297, 2298, 2337, 2340, 3414,
3421, 3453, 3756, 3763 and 3764,
Spring
CP nos. 1588, 2052, 2058 ,2172, 2379, 2391 and 2392
Potential parents for specific breeding programmes
• Processing
CP nos. 1940, 3154, 3204, 3354, 3355 and 3361
• Cyst nematodes
CP nos. 1515, 1843, 2044, 2062, 2066, 2163, 3091 , 3206, 3365, 3366
and 3448
• Viruses
CP1358, 1441, 1457, 1613, 1664, 1670, 1832, 1970, 1971 and 3534
• Keeping quality
CP nos. 1457, 1460, 1647, 1649 , 1652, 3153, 3194, 3195 and 3592
Andigena
• Adaptability
JEX/A nos 15, 101, 131, 178, 200, 283, 319, 455, 457, 1048, 1063,
1083, 1144, 1204 & 1205
Sources of resistance to various diseases in wild potato species
Diseases
Sources
Viruses -
PVX
S. acaule, S. berthaultii, S. tuberosum subsp. andigena
PVY
S. phureja, S. demissum, S. stoloniferum
PLRV
Late blight
Vertical
S. acaule, S. demissum, S. tuberosum subsp. andigena
S. demissum, S. verrucosum, S. stoloniferum
Horizontal S. berthaultii, S. chacoense, S. microdontum, S. vernei
Wart
S. acaule, S. berthaultii.
Common scab
S. chacoense, S. tuberosum ssp. andigena
Bacterial wilt
S. Chacoense, S. microdontum,
Cyst nematodes
S. tuberosum subsp. andigena, S. berthaultii. S. vernei
Root knot nematode
S. spegazzinii
Aphids
S. berthaultii.
Frost
S. acaule, S. ajanhuiri
Heat tolerance
S. chacoense, S. commersonii
High protein content
S. phureja
FLOWERING IN POTATO
•
Availability of ample flowers at proper time with
functional male and female parts is an indispensable
requirement for hybridization.
•
Genotype, day-length and temperature are main
factors, which determine the flowering and fruiting in
potatoes.
•
Though flower primordia of potato can arise in total
darkness, a photoperiod of 14-18 hours and night
temperature of 15 to 20°C favour flower production and
berry setting.
• In tropics and sub-tropics, conditions conducive to
flowering and fruiting are available only at high
altitudes (>1500m above sea level) where crop is grown
during summer season.
Flower Induction by extended photoperiod
• Under short day conditions, flowering in potato is
achieved through extended photoperiod (LD) of 6 hours
by 250w high pressure sodium vapour lamps.
• About 30% genotypes reached up to flowering stage
Flower Induction by hormonal treatment
•
Three repeated sprays of GA 50 ppm + IBA 10 ppm + Kinetin
2 ppm at week interval starting from bud initiation stage.
enhances the flowering intensity, flowering duration and
advances the flowering as well.
•
About 70% genotypes reached up to flowering stage.
•
However hormonal induced flowering (LD+H) reduces
flower vigour and size and in some genotypes abnormal
flowers are obtained leading to pollen sterility
Pollen fertility is tested by squashing anthers in 2% aqueous solution of
Aceto-carmine
HYBRIDIZATION IN POTATO
(A) Emasculation (B) Pollination
(C) Potato berries and (D) Hybrid true potato seed.
Seedling Stage (F1 )

Treatment with Gibbrelic acid @ 1500 ppm for 24 hours if seed is
fresh.

Seed sowing: Last week of September or First week of October

Seed sowing in nursery beds of 10 x 1 meter at 10 cm row spacing

About 150 seeds in row of one meter.

25-30 days age old seedling are transplanted in the field at 60 x 25 cm
spacing
Selection in Seedling Stage (F1 )
•
•
•
•
Seedlings showing viral infection, long stolen, irregular tuber
shape, deep eyes, russetting cracking and undesirable tuber colour
are rejected.
Yield is not considered at this stage for selection.
Five tubers each of the selected one are retained for subsequent
evaluation.
Clonal number is allotted to selected clones like MS/93-1344
Cross: A x B=
MS/13-1 to 100
Cross: B x C
=MS/13-101to 200
Table potatoes
Stages in potato varietal improvement programme
Stage
Plot size (m2)
No of tubers
Seedling
F1C1
F1C2
F1C3
0.6 x 0.25
0.6 x 1.0
1.2 x 3.0
2.4 x 3.0, 2 rep
Single hill
5
30
120
Evaluation
(DAP)
90
60, 75, 90
60, 75, 90
60, 75, 90
F1C4
4.8 x 3.0, 3 rep
360
60, 75, 90
F1C5
4.8 x 3.0, 8 rep
960
60, 75, 90
F1C6
4.8 x 3.0, 8 rep
960
60, 75, 90
Selection procedure for development of
processing cultivars
Year Generation
1
Crossing
2
Seedling
3
F1C1
4
F1C2
5
F1C3
6
F1C4
7
F1C5
8
F1C6
9
F1C7
10
11
Action
Parent A x Parent B
Selection based on shape and tuber traits (5 tubers/clone)
Population
1, 00,000
 1000
Selection based on specific gravity, shape, size and chip color
(20 tubers /clone)
Selection based on shape, size, CC, and DM (60
tubers/hybrids)
Replicated row-trial– Selection (200 tuber/hybrid) based on
yield, CC, and DM .
Replicated trial (4 row plot) –– Selection based on yield, DM,
CC, RS and phenols and maturity
Replicated trial (5 row plot) –– Selection based on yield, DM,
CC, RS and phenols and maturity.
Confirmation trial –– Selection based on yield, DM, CC, RS
and phenols and maturity.
Based on its three years performance the best performing
hybrids will be introduced in to AICRP-Potato for
multilocation trials (IVT)
Selection of best hybrid and advanced to AVT
Identification of new cultivar and recommendation for its
release
 100
25-50
10-15
5-10
5-10
5-10
3-5
1-2
1
Heat Tolerance Screening techniques
 The potato tubers are grown under nontuberizing conditions for 30 days (i.e. 240C
temperature)
 After the plants attain growth, single leaf
bud cuttings with one axillary bud each are
cut from the 4th to 7th leaf from these plants
and is transplanted in the sterilized sand
(without nutritional supplement) and treated
with the desired temperature under
controlled environment
 For heat stress, it may be 240C temperature
during 12hrs photoperiod. The cuttings are
grown for 21 days and at the end of this
period these are checked for the formation
of sessile tubers, tubers on stolons and only
stolon formation at axillary bud and
accordingly ranked
Late blight screening
Potato seedlings showing late blight symptoms after challenge inoculation with P.
infestans under controlled conditions (A), detached leaf test (B) and Late blight
screening in F1C2 under natural conditions (C).
INTRODUCTION, EVALUATION IN AICPIP AND
RELEASE OF VARIETY
 Based on performance of hybrids in PYT, CYT and FYT
one or two promising hybrids are proposed for multilocation evaluation in AICRP
 Advanced hybrids are evaluated at AICRP centers and
results are discussed in AICRP workshop
 Best one hybrid if found suitable is recommended for
release as variety by AICRP workshop.
 Central Variety Release Committee releases and notify
the variety recommended by AICRP Workshop.
Varieties Released

CPRI has released 49 potato varieties till date

Two varieties viz. Kufri Safed and Kufri Red are clonal selections from
indigenous desi varieties Phulwa and Darjeeling Red Round, respectively.

The remaining 47 varieties are hybrids.

9 varieties are early (70-80 days),

24 are medium (90-100 days)

16 are late (100-110 days) maturing.

44 varieties possess white or yellow skin

5 varieties ie K. Red, K. Sindhuri, K. Lalima, K. Kanchan and K. Arun possess
red skin.

Most of these varieties possess resistance/tolerance to major pests and diseases.

The varieties viz. K. Chipsona-1, K. Chipsona-2, K. Chipsona-3, K. Himsona,
Kufri Frysona and Kufri Chipsona 4 have been developed for processing.

32 of the 49 varieties released so for are suitable for cultivation in North Indian
Plains.
Potato varieties released by CPRI (49)
Year
Varieties
1958
Kufri Kisan, Kufri Kuber, Kufri Kumar, Kufri Kundan, Kufri Red, Kufri Safed
1963
Kufri Neela
1967
Kufri Sindhuri
1968
Kufri Alankar, Kufri Chamatkar, Kufri Chandramukhi, Kufri Jeevan, Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Khasigaro, Kufri
Naveen, Kufri Neelamani, Kufri Sheetman
1971
Kufri Muthu
1972
Kufri Lauvkar
1973
Kufri Dewa
1979
Kufri Badshah
1980
Kufri Bahar
1982
Kufri Lalima
1983
Kufri Sherpa
1985
Kufri Swarna
1989
Kufri Megha
1996
Kufri Jawahar, Kufri Sutlej, Kufri Ashoka
1998
Kufri Pukhraj, Kufri Chipsona-1, Kufri Chipsona-2, Kufri Giriraj
1999
Kufri Anand, Kufri Kanchan
2005
Kufri Arun, Kufri Pushkar, Kufri Shailja
2006
Kufri Surya, Kufri Chipsona-3, Kufri Himalini
2008
Kufri Himsona, Kufri Sadabahar, Kufri Girdhari, Kufri Khyati
2009
Kufri Frysona
2010
Kufri Chipsona-4
2012
Kufri Gaurav, Kufri Garima
POTATO VARIETIES FOR INDIA
Plains
Hills
Processing
Early
Medium
Late
Kufri
Chandramukhi
Kufri Bahar
Kufri Badshah
Kufri Jyoti
Kufri Chipsona-1
Kufri Bahar
Kufri Sutlej
Kufri Anand
Kufri Swarna
Kufri Chipsona-2
Kufri Pukhraj
Kufri Pukhraj
Kufri Sindhuri
Kufri Kanchan
Kufri Chipsona-3
Kufri Ashoka
Kufri Anand
Kufri Giriraj
Kufri Himsona
Kufri Surya
Kufri Lalima
Kufri Shelja
Kufri Frysona
Kufri Khyati
Kufri Arun
Kufri Himalini
Kufri Chipsona-4
Kufri Pushkar
Kufri Girdhari
Kufri
Sadabahar
Kufri Gaurav
Kufri Garima
Improved potato varieties for plains
Kufri Badshah (A), Kufri Bahar (B), Kufri Lalima (C),
Kufri Anand (D), Kufri Pushkar (E) and Kufri Garima (F)
Processing varieties
Kufri Frysona
Late blight resistant varieties
Kufri Jyoti (A), Kufri Giriraj (B), Kufri Shailja (C) and Kufri Girdhari (D)
Heat tolerant variety
Kufri Surya
Symptom of wart (A)
and wart resistant variety
Kufri Kanchan (B)
Potato roots showing
nematode cyst (A)
& tubers o fPotato
variety Kufri Swarna (B)
Challenges addressed during potato breeding in India
• Indigenous table potato varieties
• Late blight resistant varieties
• Cyst nematode varieties-Kufri Swarna
• Wart resistant varieties-Kufri Kanchan
• Processing varieties for chips and French fries.
• Heat tolerant variety-Kufri Surya
Indian potato varieties/ hybrids being grown in other countries
Country
Varieties/Hybrids
Afghanistan
Kufri Chandramukhi
Nepal
Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Sindhuri
Bhutan
Kufri Jyoti
Bangladesh
Kufri Sindhuri
Mexico
I-654 as CCM-69.1
Sri Lanka
I-822 as cv. Khrushi, I-1085 as cv. Sita
Philippines
I-1035 as cv. Montanosa, I-1085 as cv. BSUP-04
Madagascar
I-1035 as Mailaka
Bolivia
I-1039 as cv. India
Vietnam
I-1039 as cv. Red skin
Trends in Area, Production and Productivity
(1949-50 to 2010-11)
45
42.3
40
37.29
35
30
28.47
24.713
25
23.123
23.9
22.09
20
18.1
14.771
15
13.4
10
5
28.58
8.327
6.85
2.39
1.543
3.62
2.733
12.7
14
14.82
18.31
18.5
15.53
9.4
4.96
3.913
0
1949-50 1959-60 1969-70 1979-80 1989-90 1999-00 2003-04 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Area (lakh Ha)
Area
Production
Productivity
:
:
:
Prodn (mt)
7.66 fold increase
24.16 fold increase
3.17 fold increase
Yield (t/ha)
ACGR 3.28
ACGR 5.49
ACGR 2.14