Farmers of the region are seen showing much interested to seed-potato farming in net house method for multiplying the tissue-culture based seed-potato successfully.
Number and acreage of the modern farming method has been enhanced significantly for the last couple of years due to its better output.Abu Hena Mostofa Kamal, a commercial farmer of Mollikpur village under Paba upazila, has transplanted 4,000 plantlets while Mustafiz of Ghipara village 2,000 plantlets and they were very busy nurturing their growing plantlets.Besides, Nur Alam of Khanpur and Masum of Parjunpara under Mohanpur upazila and Ali Afzal of Jamalpur village under Bagmara upazila said that they are very happy with the present farming condition.Mijanur Rahman Kazi, general secretary of Seed Potato Growers Cooperative Society, told BSS that around 500 seed growing farmers were very happy at their satisfactory yield achieved through using the net-house farming method last year.In this context, he said the farming of foundation seed of potato through using tissue culture technology and net-house system has gradually been gaining popularity everywhere in the region for the last couple of years.The private entrepreneurs are showing interest in boosting the mother potato-seed production locally after using the modern technology instead of depending on the local seed.Apart from this, the potato growers are also showing their interest in cultivating potato through using the foundation seed as they have been reaping more yields.He said the existing crisis of breeder seed could be solved easily through successful expansion of tissue culture technology at the grassroots as there was a bright prospect of enhancing the production of breeder seed through best uses of the innovated technology.In addition to comparatively higher production and hygienic, the tissue culture seed was 100 per cent virus and disease free, healthy, high quality and environment-friendly, he informed.Depicting the salient features of the technology, he mentioned that potato production could be enhanced at least 50 percent more on the existing acreage if only the quality seed were ensured among the growers.Hazrat Ali, Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), said there has been a tremendous demand for tissue cultured plantlets in the region. Not only farmers, but many educated youths, business personnel and traders have become self-reliant by using tissue cultured saplings in this region, he added.Professor Dr Monzur Hossain of Botany Department of Rajshahi University, pioneer in innovation of tissue cultured saplings, said they had innovated the method of producing tissue culture potato-seed in 1987.RAJSHAHI, Feb 6, 2015 (BSS)
