A 'revolution' in potato cultivation

Happy farmers at a village in Jaldhaka upazila sorting potato after a good harvest. The yield increased significantly due to use of tissue culture seeds. PHOTO: STAR

Late sowing after Aman (paddy) harvest does not reduce the yield, farmers said.

This year, BRAC, an NGO, supplied 612 metric tons of potato seeds to farmers in the six upazilas of the district, which brought 705 acres under cultivation.

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The average yield was 16 tonnes per acre, BRAC Marketing Officer Junab Ali told this correspondent.

Farmer Tohidul Islam of Balagram village said he got 370 mounds of potato from one acre by using tissue culture seeds. The yield was only 150 to 200 maunds earlier from traditional seeds.

Another farmer of the same village said he got 50 maunds from seven decimal land.

Abdul Gafur of Kamarpukur village in Syedpur upazila got 562 maunds from 1.4 acres.

All of them were of the view that tissue culture seeds gave yield much higher than traditional seeds. The production cost was lesser as they did not have to use anti-virus and anti-fungal medicines at very high cost. Viral attack is common, which drastically reduces the yield, they said.

Agriculture experts and the farmers say use of tissue culture seeds will bring about a "revolution" in potato cultivation.

BRAC's Regional Agriculture and Forestry official Din Mohammad said the yield is higher as each plant produces 30 to 40 potatoes against 15 to 25 from traditional seeds. The seeds are produced in BRAC laboratories.