Potato

History

Origin Growing Zones Area and Production Taxonomy

Origin and History

  • Potato is supposed to be originated either in the altiplano of higher Andean region of Peru and Bolivia, South America at elevations between 3500 to 4500 metres above sea level, or/and in Chile and on Island of the coast of Chile, on Western cost of South America.

  • Potato plants were brought into continental Europe very soon after discovery of America.
  • Some people believe that John Hawkins, the introducer of the slave trade, first brought them into Europe, probably in the year 1545 or 1562, while others mention that a Spanish Monk brought them first from Equator in 1580.
  • Moving to its new home in Europe in the 16th century it earned new name as poor man's crop in England, Ireland and Scotland.
  • It caught the eyes of Frederick, the Great, in seven year's war during food shortage to meet the demand of the army.
  • During the last two world wars Great Britain, Germany and many other European countries could solve their food problem largely through increased production of potato.
  • It was probably the Portuguese who brought the potato to India, the first mention of it in this country began in the account of a banquet given by Asaf Khan to Sir Thomas Roe in Ajmer in 1615.

Top

Potato growing zones of India

  • Based on soil and climatic conditions, five potato growing zones have been delineated in India.

A. Western Himalayan Zone

  • This region comprises Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh.
  • These are subdivided into very high, high and mid-hill regions, depending on the elevations ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 m from sea level.
  • The soils are mostly sandy loam to loam, in texture with acidic reaction.

B. Plains Zone

  • This is subdivided into North-Western plains (Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan), North-central plains (parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh) and North-eastern plains (eastern parts of UP, Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal).
  • Soils are mostly alluvial with acidic to neutral reaction.
  • Texture ranges from sandy loam to clay loam.
  • The elevation is around 300 m from sea level.

C. North-Eastern Hill Zone

  • This comprises West Bengal, Assam, North-eastern states of Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, etc.
  • Soils are laterites and acidic in reaction.
  • In high rainfall regions the wart disease is a problem.

D. Low hills and Plateau zone

  • This zone consists of parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Orissa.
  • The altitude varies from 600 to 1,000 m and the soils range from red sandy soils to medium or deep black soil.
  • Due to cracking of black soils, tubers are exposed to light which results in greening (solanin formation).

E. Nilgiri and Kodaikanal Hill zone

  • In Tamil Nadu, potato is grown in all 3 seasons at elevation of over 2000 m.a.s.l.
  • Soils are mostly lateritic with low pH and high P fixation.
  • Temperatures are mild throughout the year with an annual rainfall of 1,000 mm.

Top

Area and Production

Introduction

  • Potato is most widely grown vegetable crop in the country with a share of 25.7 per cent.
  • The area under potato cultivation is 1.4Million ha with total production of 25 MT.
  • The main varieties of potato grown in the country are Kufri Chandramukhi, Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Badshah, Kufri Himalani, Kufri Sindhuri, Kufri Lalima etc.
  • Uttar Pradesh is the leading potato growing state in the country followed by West Bengal and Bihar.
  • In Karnataka potato is considered as a important commercial crop in uttar Karnataka region
  • It is widely cultivated in Belgaum and Dharwad districts. The area under potatoe cultivation in these areas is around 20,000 Ha.

Area, Production and Productivity of major Potato growing Countries (2012)

Country
Area (Ha)
Production (Mt)
Productivity in Kgs/ha
Bangladesh
430446
8205470
19062
Belarus
332255
6910945
20800
China
5431700
85920000
15818
Germany
238300
10665600
44757
India
1900000
45000000
23684
Peru
312227
4473503
14327
Poland
373000
9091900
24375
Romania
229055
2465150
10762
Russia
2197200
29532530
13441
Ukraine
1444100
23250200
16100
USA
458388
19165865
41811
World
19202082
364808768
18998

Source: Faostat Citation

All India Area, Production and Yield of Potato from 2001-2013

Year
Area (000'Ha)
Production (000' Tonnes)
Productivity in Tonnes/ha
2001-02
1259.5
24456.1
19.4
2002-03
1337.2
23161.4
17.3
2003-04
1484.7
27925.8
18.8
2004-05
1523.9
28787.7
18.9
2005-06
1569.2
29174.6
18.6
2006-07
1743.0
28600.0
16.4
2007-08
1795.0
34658.0
19.3
2008-09
1828.0
34391.0
18.8
2009-10
1835.3
36577.3
19.9
2010-11
1863.0
42339.0
22.7
2011-12
1907.0
41482
21.8
2012-13
1992.2
45343.6
22.8

Source: National Horticulture Board

Statewise Area, Production and Yield of Potato in 2012-13

State
Area (000' Ha)
Production (000' Tonnes)
Productivity in Kgs/ha
Composite Andhra Pradesh
9.48
189.6
20
Assam
99.77
975.27
9.775
Bihar
322.46
6,640.55
20.593
Chhattisgarh
43.35
648.62
14.962
Delhi
0.69
14.65
21.232
Gujarat
81.27
2,499.73
30.758
Haryana
29.47
676.02
22.939
Himachal Pradesh
14.43
180.57
12.514
Jammu & Kashmir
6.91
127.24
18.414
Jharkhand
47.21
659.61
13.972
Karnataka
44.4
698.3
15.727
Kerala
0.32
5.44
17
Madhyapradesh
108.87
2,299.00
21.117
Maharashtra
14
321
22.929
Meghalaya
18.14
172.96
9.535
Mizoram
0.25
3.15
12.6
Nagaland
3.8
32
8.421
Orissa
14.14
201.06
14.219
Punjab
85.5
2,132.31
24.939
Rajasthan
9.17
107.2
11.69
Sikkim
10.06
49.14
4.885
Tamil Nadu
5.05
105.11
20.814
Tripura
8.32
149.05
17.915
Uttar Pradesh
603.76
14,430.28
23.901
Uttrakhand
25.04
434.44
17.35
West Bengal
386.61
11,591.30
29.982
All India
1,992.47
45,343.60
22.757

Source: National Horticulture Board

Top

Classification of potato

  • Potato is the most useful and important member of the family Solanaceae and it belongs to genus Solanum.
  • Genus Solanum consists of seven cultivated and about 154 wild species but the commercially viable potato has only two species:

Solanum andigenum

  • The plants of this species are characterised with thin and long stems, small and narrow leaflets having profuse flowering and long stolons.
  • The tubers are mostly covered with deep sunken eyes on them.
  • The yielding potential is very low and, therefore, it is not very common type.

Solanum tuberosum

  • It is the most common type whose character has already been described earlier.
  • Solanumd emissum and Solanum stenotonum are two more species which are somewhat important as they are resistant to some types of virus and diseases but they are also not in cultivation commercially.

Top

Karnataka

Potato

Potato Management