A shortage of high quality local potato seeds has recently become a major problem for farmers in Azerbaijan, Sputnik Azerbaijan reports. Potato farmers are forced to import expensive seeds from abroad.
Breeding and seed production of local varieties is being carried out at the Tovuz Experimental Station. Experts say that local seeds are cheaper and more productive than imported potatoes. With good care, cultivating potatoes in the fields of the Aran lowland, you can get about 25-30 tons per hectare.
“At present, seeds of domestic potato varieties Amir-600, Sevinj, Telman are being grown in the fields of the Experimental Station in Tovuz. Unlike imported varieties, local seeds are cheaper. But they are not enough, and most farmers cannot use them, ”says Yusif Mustafayev, head of the potato selection and seed laboratory at the Tovuz Experimental Station.
The reason for the shortage, according to Mustafayev, is that few planting areas are allocated for experimental sites.
“We are trying to create new varieties of potatoes. At present, the institute has already created several new products. These are Chanlibel, Ugur, Vagif and others. They are productive and disease resistant. However, there are not enough experimental areas. Our goal is to increase the number of seeds in order to provide the republic with them in the near future, ”he noted.
In Azerbaijan, now potatoes are grown on an area of 60-70 thousand hectares, and farms need more than 200 thousand tons of seeds of this crop.