Registration of potato genetic stock MP/99–322

MP/99–322 - the first Indian potato genetic stock having high starch, high dry matter, low amylase and late blight resistance has been registered as unique germplasm by the Plant Germplasm Registration Committee of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research vide Registration No. INGR 04109.

Potato varieties in India were essentially developed in the past for only table consumption containing in general dry matter between 17 and 19 per cent depending upon the agro-climate. However, varieties with high dry matter as well as high starch content are preferred in several industries like paper, food and pharmaceutical sectors. In food industry, potato starch is preferred over cereal starch for use as backers’ specialty items and confectioners’ additives, thickener in soups and gravies and making instant pudding. In view of the above, a hybrid, MP/99–322, was developed under the research programme of “Development of Varieties and Technology for Processing” having very high dry matter (> 23%) and high starch (> 17%) content which is about 4–6% higher than normal starch content in table varieties grown in India.This hybrid also contains low amylose (27.3%) and high amylopectin (72.7%), and, therefore, starch extracted from this hybrid can be easily gelatinized to form a clear paste, which is not possible with high amylase varieties.

The hybrid was identified from the progeny of a cross MP/91–76 x MP/92–35 and it yields between 26–30 t ha⁻¹ in a crop of 90 days with 87–95% processing grade (>45 mm dia.) tubers and between 31–34 t ha⁻¹ in a crop of 105 days with 90–95% processing grade tubers in west-central plains at Modipuram. It is resistant to late blight and yields between 22–25 t ha⁻¹ in north-western hills at Kufri (H.P.) with very high dry matter (27–29%). MP/99–322 is a medium maturing hybrid and produces attractive oval/oblong yellow tubers with shallow eyes and pale yellow flesh. It has medium plant height, open thick green stem and feebly developed straight wings.The leave structure is intermediate, leaflet width narrow, low leaflet coalescence frequency and no rachis and midrib pigmentation. It has profuse flowering, floral stalk light purple, floral stalk-pedicel articulation poorly visible and located above the middle, calyx completely pigmented, bud green to light purple, corolla purple, corolla shape semi-stellate, anther yellow and cone normally developed, stylar length longer than stamen column and stigma bi-lobed.Sprouts of MP/99–322 are predominantly purple/red-purple, conical in shape, slight pubescence in the base and tip closed.

For high starch recovery potatoes with high dry matter contents are required, although sub-standard or surplus potatoes can be used. Hybrid MP/99–322 is having very high tuber dry matter vis-a-vis starch content at Modipuram in west-central plains an area known for producing low dry matter potatoes. Further, it has lower amylose content as compared to the best control varieties and may be more useful for industrial use.Westcentral plains are endowed with long potato growing season and this medium maturing high starch containing hybrids can, therefore, be grown in autumn for production of starch. Besides being useful in obtaining valuable starch, it will be a successful putative parent in the development of new hybrids with high starch/dry matter contents.