Micropropagation in potato seed production: Need to revise seed certification standards

In a vegetatively propagated crop like potato, use of healthy seed is the most important component for harnessing maximum benefits. The seed requirement for potato crop is very high due to high seed rate (3–4 t/ha). With continuous increase in the area under potato cultivation and possibilities of seed export, a proportional increase in seed requirement is envisaged in the future. The advent of tissue culture, in which plants are grown in artificial media under sterile conditions in the laboratory, has revolutionized potato seed production world over. In addition to quality assurance, the technique ensures enhanced multiplication rate in initial stages of seed production. These characteristics fit well in the latest international developments emerging through WTO (World Trade Organization). Minimum commercial quality requirements fall under the WTO-TBT (WTO-Technical Barriers to Trade) agreement. According to the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) under the WTO/SPS (WTO/Sanitary and Phytosanitary) agreement, presence and/or absence of the pathogens are major quality criteria. Therefore, there is an urgent need to introduce micropropagation in potato seed production and revise seed certification standards for various categories of seed potatoes in such a way that these are aligned, as far as possible, with the international standards. A “Limited Generation System” wherein the planting of each seed class is limited as per the eligibility by compliance with established disease tolerance levels and the number of field multiplications is proposed and discussed.