Productivity potential and disease incidence of different potato varieties cultivated in the dry temperate conditions of Lahaul valley

Seed potato grown in the tribal district of Lahaul and Spiti in Himachal Pradesh is in great demand all over the country. Contract farming in this region, particularly the Chandra valley is becoming popular among farmers for exotic potato varieties. In this study four new varieties of potato (recommended by CPRI for dry temperate conditions) namely ‘Kufri Himalini’, ‘Kufri Girdhari’, ‘Kufri Giriraj’ and ‘Kufri Himsona’ were tested against the existing varieties of ‘Kufri Jyoti’, ‘Kufri Chandermukhi’ and ‘Shepody’ at the demonstration farm of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Lahaul and Spiti at Kukumseri during the Kharif seasons of 2009 and 2010 following standard recommended package of practices and data on disease incidence and tuber yield was recorded. During 2009 the weather remained mainly dry through out the crop season and showing very low incidence of late blight in all the varieties except in ‘Shepody’ which showed 15% disease incidence. During 2010, three newly released varieties ‘Kufri Himalini’, ‘Kufri Girdhari’ and ‘Kufri Himsona’ showed high incidence of late blight ranging between 27.5% to 85% in ‘Kufri Jyoti’ and'Shepody’, respectively as the weather remained conducive for the development of late blight, while the disease incidence was less than 5% in the newly released varieties. During 2009 highest tuber yield was recorded in ‘Kufri Giriraj’ though it was at par with the yield obtained with ‘Kufri Chandermukhi’ and ‘Kufri Himalini’ while the lowest tuber yield was recorded from ‘Kufri Himsona’. However during 2010 highest tuber yield was recorded from ‘Kufri Himalini’ while the lowest tuber yield was recorded from the exotic variety ‘Shepody’. ‘Kufri Giriraj’, which gave highest yield in the first year, fared poorly in the second year as the incidence of late blight in this variety was quiet high to the extent of 35%.