Pakistan Set to Become Self-sufficient in Seed Production
Pakistan is set to become self-sufficient in potato seed by mid-2022. The country is going to start producing high-quality, virus-free, third-generation potato seed. It will apply the aeroponic technology that it received from South Korea. The move will reduce the import bill for potato seed, which is USD400m per annum.
Aeroponic is a method for growing potatoes in air inside the bed in a greenhouse. The nutrients’ solution is misted onto the plants through nozzles to supply nutrients and water. The technology is highly suitable for tuber enlargement and easier to supply oxygen to the root zone.
This soilless method is for producing pre-basic seed with a higher yield more quickly, more sustainably and with greater profits than conventional methods. The producer can recover initial investments quickly owing to the high level of profitability.
Currently, Pakistan imports about 15,000 tons of potato seed from various countries. The availability of aeroponic techniques for potato plants grown with the help of fine droplets without soil or substrate support presents a new hope, said Dr. Muhammad Azeem Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC).
This revolutionary technique will lead to higher growth rates and healthy, uniform and vigorous potato tubers. This will make potato production more efficient and reduce the number of cycles in potato seed multiplication, thus reducing the threats to health and quality, he said. The potato crop in Pakistan is cultivated on a commercial scale and contributes considerably to GDP. It is grown in both highlands and plains as the summer and winter crop, which reflects its importance in the livelihoods of a diverse group of farmers.
The lack of availability of quality-seed potatoes by conventional methods is among the major reasons that pose a direct challenge to the production system, Dr Hameed said.