20000214

Powdery scape-infested

Potato seed sale banned

MULTAN: Federal Seed Certification and Registration (FSCR) Department, has issued notices to private companies to stop sale of 60 tonnes of imported potato seed carrying powdery scape to farmers so as to save the land and potato crop from its dangers.

Regional Director FSCR Mian Wajid told the newmen on Saturday that powdery scap damages the potato crop and its infestation persists in land for ten years.

He said that last year 2000 crates of potato seeds, imported from Holland, were destroyed at the port.

He said that their continued efforts helped the country to have its own potato seed variety and enabled it to save foreign exchange which were being spent on its import annually.

He said that potato seed was being imported since independence but was stopped some three years back when its huge quantity was destroyed because it was carrying an insect, Nematodes.

He said that we are making efforts to shift the potato sowing season from (Spring sowing) to September/October (Autumn to Autumn sowing) to get better results in plain areas.

He said that the local potato variety was being prepared with the help of tissue culture technique.

He said that the use of local potato seed coupled with the sowing in Autumn yield 135 bags of potato per acre and only two to three sprays were required.

But, in case of Spring sowing and use of imported seed, eight sprays were needed to yield only 25 bags of potato.ÑAPP