The Use of True Potato Seed as Pro-poor Technology: The Efforts of an International Agricultural Research Institute to Innovating Potato Production

The International Potato Center (CIP) and collaborating institutions implemented an intensive research programme over a period of 25-30 years on the use of botanical seed of potato as an alternative way of growing a potato crop. The use of botanical or 'true' potato seed (TPS) had many advantages over the use of seed tubers. Potentially, the use of TPS was especially attractive for small-scale farmers in developing countries. The difference of using TPS as compared to using seed tubers meant in many respects the development of a new crop-commodity chain, requiring research on breeding, seed production, agronomy and marketing aspects. This research made it possible to produce potatoes from TPS at commercial scale: it removed a number of important constraints in the uniformity and earliness of the TPS varieties and in seed physiology. Experimentation and adoption by farmers in a wide range of countries showed that the technological advantages of using TPS were only translating in economical benefits as compared to tuber seed when the last one was costly or not available. Since the economic performance of seed tubers is likely to continue to fluctuate, TPS remains an interesting alternative. Study of the use of TPS in various countries could contribute to better understanding of factors that promote or inhibit crop technology innovation. The article gives an overview of the various areas of TPS research in CIP and presents information on the application of TPS technology in several developing countries.