Accelerating Seed Potato Production By Using Rapid Multiplication Systems in Ethiopia

Abstract

Ethiopia is one of the major potato producing countries of the Sub-Saharan Africa region where potato is the fastest expanding food crop. The natural environment in Ethiopia is very suitable for year round production of potato using rain-fed and irrigated systems. However, the actual potato yield in the country ranges between 8-10 t/ha, which is slightly below the average for Africa. Shortage of good quality seed has been recognized as the single most important factor limiting potato production in the developing countries including Ethiopia. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to review the accelerating role of rapid seed potato multiplication technologies for potato seed production in Ethiopia. A low adoption of recommended seed potato technologies in the country could be due to a lack of alternative seed potato production methods compatible with farmers’ economic and agro-ecological conditions. Since 2010, Holetta Agricultural Research Centre in collaboration with International Potato Center together are applying different seed potato production hastening schemes to produce early generation seed. These seed multiplication schemes include, tissue culture, aeroponics, sand hydroponics and other rapid multiplication methods in screen house pots. These seed potato multiplication schemes brought a dynamic change for the last five years by accelerating the supply efficiency by 7.6% with enhancing the number from 43,773 mini-tubers to 332,485 mini-tubers. Moreover, these new seed multiplication schemes enhanced the capacity of clean seed production of the country by producing 216,717 mini-tubers of high quality seed from aeroponics and sand hydroponics. The farmers could also access early generation clean seed potato through their nearby cooperatives with affordable price and with lowtransportation cost. Thus, for developing countries like Ethiopia where formal seed system is at infant stages and early generation seed is mostly produced by research institutions, the use of various rapid multiplication techniques could be one option to produce clean seed potato.

Influence of Hydroponics Nutrient Solution on Quality of Selected Varieties of Potato Minitubers

“…The informal sector has accelerated the adoption of conventional methods of seed potato production which entails the use of soil as a medium for seed multiplication [13]. Though the soil-based seed potato production method is widely used in Kenya, it has a low multiplication rate in addition to encouraging the build-up of tissue-borne viruses, fungi and bacteria [14,15]. To meet the increasing seed potato demand and reduce the risks associated with conventional production methods, it is important to enhance production efficiency within the informal seed production sector.…”

Effect of Varied Levels of Gibberellin, Anti-Gibberellin and Cytokinin on Growth and Tuberization in Potato

“…Gibberellins are generally known to inhibit tuber formation. High levels of GAs promote stem elongation and vegetative growth, which counteracts the initiation of tuberization (Yamaguchi 2008;Gebrehanna et al, 2018). PBZ (Paclobutrazol) and CCC (Chlormequat Chloride) are GA biosynthesis inhibitor and thus promote tuberization (Herrera-Isidron et al, 2021).…”

Effect of nutrient stock solutions on the growth and yield of apical rooted cutting (Solanum tuberosum L.) varieties in a hydroponic system

“…Rapid multiplication techniques such as the use of apical rooted cutting (ARC) have shortened the multiplication time of certi ed seed potato (Harahagazwe et al 2018). These ARCs can be used as an effective means of producing basic seed under strict management practices such as hydroponics, with each cuttings producing 8-15 minitubers, depending on variety (Lemma et al 2018;Parker, 2017). The productivity of these plantlets is however limited to nutritional factors in the hydroponic system and therefore needs to be studied.…”