Strengthening the potato seed system in Georgia: Preliminary results

Abstract

I n t e r n a t i o n a l P o t a t o C e n t e r • W o r k i n g P a p e r 1 Working PaperStrengthening the potato seed system in Georgia: preliminary results Carlo CarliA. Gulbani Z. Khidesheli K. Kobalatse 4 I n t e r n a t i o n a l P o t a t o C e n t e r • W o r k i n g P a p e r 1 © International Potato Center (CIP), 2010 CIP publications contribute important development information to the public arena. Readers are encouraged to quote or reproduce material from them in their own publications. As copyright holder CIP requests acknowledgement, and a copy of the publication where the citation or material appears. Please send a copy to the Communication and Public Awareness Department at the address below. Potato is one of Georgia's major staple and cash crops. The area under potato cultivation varies between 30 000 and 35 000 ha per year, but productivity still remains very low. In fact, with a potato yield ranging from 8.9 to 12 t/ha (average data over the last ten years), Georgia is in the group of low yield countries, the yield being only 3-4 times higher than the seed rate. Poor seed quality is one of the main reasons for low production, which became more acute following the collapse of the Soviet Union and consequent disruption of seed production and trade. The other reasons are late blight (Phytophthora infestans), not well-adapted cultivars and poor husbandry practices at farmer level. The International Potato Center (CIP), with the help of local scientists and advisors, is working to improve the informal seed potato system in the country. Here new plans are reported for establishing quality control mechanisms to better guarantee reasonable good quality seed from informal seed producers for purchase by ware potato growers.v