Agrinnovate India Ltd., the commercial arm of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in New Delhi, granted the Department of Horticulture and Food Processing, Government of Madhya Pradesh, a licence for the "Aeroponic Method for Virus-free Potato Seed Production" on 4 May 2022.
The Aeroponic Potato Seed Production technology was developed by the ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.
Chief Guest, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar, emphasized the Central Government's commitment to ensuring the timely supply of high-quality, certified seeds to farmers. Tomar stated that the ICAR Institutes develop technologies for their respective areas in order to meet the targets.
The Union Minister praised the ICAR-CPRI, Shimla's scientists for developing a unique Potato Seeds Production Technology using the Aeroponic Method, which has helped to ensure the supply of Potato Seeds to the country's far-flung farmers.
Tomar emphasized that technology will be critical in meeting the State's Potato Seeds needs as well as increasing production at the national level. He considered the potato to be the world's most important non-cereal crop, with a significant impact on the global food system. The Union Minister praised the Agricultural Scientists for their achievements in research. The Union Minister also reaffirmed the Central Government's commitment to working on a mission mode to implement the various schemes launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the country's overall agricultural development.
Bharat Singh Kushwaha, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Horticulture & Food Processing Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh, expressed his hope that the latest and unique technology would help meet the demands for Potato Seeds and increase production in the state. Kushwaha emphasized the importance of Malwa in potato production, citing Madhya Pradesh as the country's sixth-largest potato-producing state.
Madhya Pradesh, according to the Minister, has emerged as the country's ideal destination state for potato processing. He also stated that the Indore district alone accounts for roughly 30% of the state's potato production. The Minister emphasized that licensing will play a significant role in assisting farmers in the production of potato crops.
According to E. Ramesh Kumar, Horticulture Commissioner, Government of Madhya Pradesh's Horticulture & Food Processing Department, the technology with a production capacity of 1 Million Mini Tubers will help meet the state's seed requirement of about 4 lakh tonnes. "The potato seed enriched with processing traits will help to improve the potato processing industry in the United States," Kumar said.
On the occasion, Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary (DARE) and Director General (ICAR), also spoke. During the event, Dr. Anand Kumar Singh, ICAR's Deputy Director General (Horticultural Science), Dr. N.K. Pandey, Director, ICAR-CPRI, Shimla, and Dr. Sudha Mysore, C.E.O., AgrInnovate India Ltd. also spoke.
The nutrients are sprayed into the roots via misting in the Aeroponic system. The upper part of the plant is still exposed to light and air. One plant yields an average of 35 to 60 Mini Tubers (3 to 10 grammes).
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