Central Potato Research Institute

For over 75 years, the ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) has been a pivotal force in securing India’s food future, transforming the humble potato from a minor crop into a cornerstone of the nation’s agricultural economy. CPRI’s journey is a testament to the power of dedicated research and strategic vision, evolving from a small breeding station to a globally recognized leader in potato science.

The Genesis of a Revolution: A Brief History of CPRI

The story of CPRI began on April 1, 1935, with the establishment of a Potato Breeding Station in Shimla. However, the true turning point came in post-independence India. Recognizing the potato’s potential as a vital food source, the Central Potato Research Institute was formally established in August 1949, in Patna, Bihar, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Dr. S. Ramanujam was appointed as its first Director, with the ambitious goal of developing new potato varieties and cultivation techniques tailored to India’s diverse conditions. Existing potato research units were integrated, consolidating the nation’s expertise.

A crucial strategic decision was made in 1956 to relocate the headquarters to Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. This move was far from a simple logistical change; it was a foundational choice for the success of India’s potato revolution. The long-day conditions in the hills were ideal for inducing flowering in diverse potato genotypes, which is essential for a successful hybridization program. Equally important, Shimla’s high-altitude, cool climate provided a natural, low-aphid environment. Aphids are primary vectors for transmitting debilitating viral diseases in potatoes. By establishing core breeding and seed maintenance operations in this protected environment, CPRI could ensure the production of healthy, disease-free seed stock—the very foundation of the national potato program. This strategic separation of the innovation hub (Shimla) from the primary cultivation zones (the plains) created a robust and sustainable system.

In April 1966, CPRI’s role as a premier national body was solidified when it was transferred to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). This integration brought CPRI into the mainstream of India’s agricultural research system, officially designating it as the autonomous, non-profit scientific institution exclusively responsible for all research and development on the potato crop in the country.

A Mandate for a Billion: Securing Food, Nutrition, and Livelihoods

CPRI’s mandate is one of the most comprehensive and integrated within the Indian agricultural research system, encompassing the entire innovation lifecycle from genetic discovery to farmer adoption.

Core Research and Development

CPRI undertakes basic, strategic, and applied research to develop high-yielding varieties and sustainable technologies that enhance potato productivity, quality, and utilization. This research spans diverse scientific disciplines including genetics and plant breeding, biotechnology, soil science, agronomy, plant protection, physiology, biochemistry, and post-harvest technology. The institute boasts state-of-the-art laboratories for molecular biology, genomics, diagnostics, and electron microscopy, supporting its cutting-edge research.

National Seed Production Authority

A critical and defining feature of CPRI’s mandate is its responsibility to produce disease-free nucleus and breeder’s seed of all notified potato varieties developed by the institute. Breeder seed is the purest form, maintaining the genetic integrity of a variety. By controlling this foundational seed stock, CPRI sits at the apex of the national potato seed supply chain. This ensures that the high genetic potential and disease-free status of new varieties are preserved as they enter the multiplication chain. Annually, the institute produces approximately 3,000 tonnes of breeder’s seed, a cornerstone of India’s self-reliance in potato cultivation.

Leadership and National Coordination

CPRI provides leadership and coordinates a nationwide research network through the All India Coordinated Research Project on Potato (AICRP-Potato), initiated in 1971. This project, comprising 25 centers (including 7 at CPRI’s regional stations and 18 at State Agricultural Universities), facilitates multi-location trials of potato hybrids and technologies across diverse agro-climatic zones. This ensures that new varieties and production practices are rigorously tested and validated for location-specific suitability before being recommended to farmers. Together, CPRI and the AICRP-Potato network conduct over 95% of all potato research in the country, showcasing a highly centralized and coordinated national effort.

Repository and Knowledge Hub

The institute serves as the national repository for scientific information and genetic resources relevant to the potato. It maintains a National Active Germplasm Repository, conserving a vast and diverse collection of potato genes invaluable for future breeding programs. Its world-class library at the Shimla headquarters is a vital knowledge resource for the scientific community.

Human Resource Development and Collaboration

CPRI acts as a center for training in research methodologies and modern potato production technologies, upgrading the skills of scientific manpower across the country. It provides consultancy services and collaborates with national and international agencies, such as the International Potato Center (CIP), to achieve its objectives and bring global innovations to Indian farmers.

This comprehensive mandate creates a unique, vertically integrated “closed-loop” system for agricultural innovation. From fundamental genetic research and variety development to the production of pure breeder seed and the coordination of national validation trials, CPRI oversees the entire process. This “end-to-end” responsibility minimizes the gap between laboratory discovery and real-world application, making CPRI not just a research center but the primary driver and guardian of India’s entire potato sector.

The Great Indian Potato Revolution: A Legacy of Unprecedented Impact

CPRI’s work over the past seven decades has sparked a revolution in Indian agriculture, transforming the potato from a minor tuber into a pillar of national food security and an engine of economic prosperity.

Transforming a Crop’s Geography

Perhaps CPRI’s single greatest achievement was the strategic transformation of the potato from a temperate, niche crop confined to the hills into a major sub-tropical crop. Through the development of specially adapted varieties and cultivation techniques, the institute enabled the large-scale cultivation of potatoes across the vast Indo-Gangetic plains as a winter (rabi) crop. This geographical expansion was the primary catalyst for the revolution, unlocking millions of hectares of land for potato production.

A Quantum Leap in Production

The impact of this revolution, powered by CPRI’s scientific interventions, is best understood through numbers.

In 1949, India’s potato production was a meager 1.54 million tonnes from 0.234 million hectares, with an average productivity of just 6.58 tonnes per hectare. By 2020-21, India’s potato production had skyrocketed to 53.1 million tonnes, harvested from 2.25 million hectares, with average productivity reaching 23.6 tonnes per hectare. This represents a staggering 34-fold increase in total production, a 9.6-fold expansion in area, and a 3.6-fold improvement in productivity.

Global Standing and Food Security

This phenomenal growth has firmly established India as the second-largest potato producer globally, surpassed only by China. The potato now ranks as the fourth most important food crop in the world and in India, after wheat, rice, and maize, playing an indispensable role in the nation’s food and nutritional security.

Socio-Economic Engine

Beyond food security, the potato revolution has been a powerful engine for socio-economic development. Potato is a high-yielding crop, making it ideally suited for small and marginal farmers. Its cultivation is labor-intensive, providing significant employment and income opportunities in rural areas, particularly for women. Furthermore, CPRI’s pioneering work in developing processing-grade varieties laid the foundation for a burgeoning potato processing industry, which now utilizes over 8% of the total produce, creating immense value addition and employment in the post-harvest sector. This has transformed the potato into a lucrative commercial crop, contributing significantly to farm incomes and the overall agricultural GDP.

The ‘Kufri’ Legacy: India’s Celebrated Potato Varieties

The tangible outputs of CPRI’s sustained breeding programs are its portfolio of improved potato varieties. The institute has developed and released more than 70 varieties, each tailored to meet specific agro-climatic needs, resist diseases and pests, or suit particular end-uses. The strategic decision to name these varieties with the prefix “Kufri“—after the high-altitude research station near Shimla—has created a powerful and trusted brand identity. For farmers across India, “Kufri” is synonymous with high quality and reliability.

Categorization of Key Varieties

CPRI’s breeding program is highly targeted, developing solutions for a wide array of challenges:

• Workhorse Table Varieties: These are high-yielding, widely adapted varieties forming the backbone of potato cultivation. Examples include Kufri Chandramukhi (early maturity, excellent flavor), Kufri Jyoti (wide adaptability, moderate resistance to late blight), Kufri Badshah (robust resistance to late blight, early blight, and PVX), and Kufri Pukhraj (early bulking, high yield, low-input suitability).
• Processing Champions: Recognizing the rise of the food processing industry, CPRI pioneered varieties specifically suited for chips and French fries. Kufri Chipsona-1 and Kufri Chipsona-2 (1998) were watershed moments, providing India with its first indigenous, world-class raw material. This series has been continuously improved with Kufri Chipsona-3 (2006) and Kufri Chipsona-4 (2019). For French fries, varieties like Kufri Frysona (2009) and Kufri FryoM (2019) have been developed.
• Climate-Resilient Innovators: To address climate change, CPRI has developed varieties like Kufri Surya (2006), a landmark heat-tolerant variety capable of tuberizing at higher night temperatures, expanding cultivation into warmer regions. Kufri Dewa (1973) is known for frost tolerance, while Kufri Ganga (2018) exhibits tolerance to moderate drought conditions.
• Bio-fortified and Specialty Varieties: In a push towards nutritional security, CPRI has developed varieties with improved health benefits. Kufri Neelkanth (2018) and Kufri Jamunia (2021) are rich in anthocyanins, giving them distinctive purple flesh and skin. Kufri Manik (2019) is a bio-fortified variety rich in essential micronutrients like iron and zinc.

Technological Frontiers: Pioneering Innovations in Potato Science

Complementing its world-class breeding program, CPRI has consistently been at the forefront of developing and deploying groundbreaking technologies, particularly in seed production.

The Seed Plot Technique

In the 1960s, CPRI developed the revolutionary “Seed Plot Technique,” a low-cost method that fundamentally changed potato seed production in India. Based on the observation that aphid populations (virus vectors) are very low in the sub-tropical plains during specific periods, this technique allowed farmers to produce their own healthy, disease-free seed potatoes by adjusting planting times. This breakthrough decentralized seed production, made India self-sufficient, and saved enormous foreign exchange.

True Potato Seed (TPS) Technology

The next major leap was the development and promotion of True Potato Seed (TPS) technology. Unlike conventional cultivation using bulky tubers, TPS technology utilizes tiny botanical seeds from the potato plant’s flowers. This drastically reduces the seed quantity and cost (100-150 grams of TPS versus 2.5-3 tonnes of tubers per hectare), eliminates tuber-borne diseases, and is especially beneficial for farmers in remote areas where transporting bulky tubers is difficult.

Aeroponics: The High-Tech Revolution

The most recent and revolutionary innovation from CPRI is the standardization and commercialization of aeroponics for mass production of high-quality mini-tubers. In this cutting-edge, soil-less system, potato plantlets are grown with their roots suspended in air and periodically sprayed with nutrients. Aeroponics offers unprecedented advantages: elimination of soil-borne diseases, a massive multiplication rate (7-10 times more mini-tubers per plant), and acceleration of the seed cycle (saving up to two years). CPRI has successfully commercialized this technology, licensing it to private firms and state governments, revolutionizing the Indian potato seed sector with modern, controlled-environment agriculture.

Emerging Research: Bioethanol Production

Looking to the future, CPRI is also exploring innovative uses for potatoes beyond food, initiating research into developing new potato varieties specifically for bioethanol production. This forward-looking initiative aims to harness the potential of surplus or damaged potatoes to contribute to India’s renewable energy security and environmental sustainability goals.

A Nationwide Network of Excellence: From the Hills to the Plains

CPRI’s success is underpinned by its unique and strategic “hub-and-spoke” organizational structure. The headquarters in Shimla serves as the central “hub” for basic and strategic research, crop improvement, and germplasm maintenance. Radiating from this hub is a network of seven regional research stations, strategically located in major potato-growing zones to address specific local challenges:

• Modipuram (Uttar Pradesh): Major center for Indo-Gangetic plains research, contributing almost half of the country’s breeder seed production.
• Jalandhar (Punjab): Focuses on breeding for earliness, nutrient management, cropping systems, and mechanization.
• Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh): Instrumental in potato cultivation in the central plateau region.
• Patna (Bihar): Focuses on post-harvest technology, TPS, and integrated pest and disease management.
• Shillong (Meghalaya): Dedicated to the North-Eastern Himalayan hills, screening for resistance to late blight, bacterial wilt, and potato tuber moth.
• Ooty (Tamil Nadu): Addresses problems of the southern hills, focusing on resistance to late blight and potato cyst nematodes.
• Kufri-Fagu (Himachal Pradesh): Critical for core breeding programs and maintenance of disease-free germplasm in the high hills.

This network functions as a crucial two-way feedback loop. Regional stations identify unique local challenges, which then inform the central breeding program at the headquarters, ensuring CPRI’s research agenda remains firmly grounded in real-world farmer problems.

National and International Collaboration

CPRI collaborates extensively with State Agricultural Universities through the AICRP-Potato network for multi-location testing. Internationally, it maintains a crucial partnership with the International Potato Center (CIP), facilitating germplasm and knowledge exchange, leading to joint variety development like Kufri Lima, a heat-tolerant potato released in 2017.

Vision 2050: Charting the Future of the Potato in a Changing World

As CPRI looks towards the future, its “Vision 2050” document outlines an ambitious strategy to position the potato to meet profound 21st-century challenges. The overarching goal is to transition the potato from a vegetable supplement to a cornerstone of India’s future food and nutritional security.

The Grand Challenge: 125 Million Tonnes by 2050

The centerpiece of Vision 2050 is the target to increase India’s annual potato production to 125 million tonnes by 2050. This massive increase must come almost entirely from productivity gains, as new cultivable land will be virtually non-existent. To achieve this, national average potato productivity must be enhanced from the current ~24 tonnes/ha to a target of 35 tonnes per hectare by 2050.

Future Research Priorities and Strategic Thrusts

To meet this grand challenge, CPRI has identified key priorities:

• Developing Climate-Smart Potatoes: Breeding varieties with enhanced tolerance to abiotic stresses like heat and drought.
• Harnessing Genomics and Biotechnology: Leveraging molecular markers, functional genomics, and safe applications of biotechnology (including gene editing and transgenics) to accelerate breeding for desired traits and multiple stress resistance.
• Enhancing Nutritional Quality and Health Benefits: Focusing on bio-fortification (iron, zinc, antioxidants) and developing potatoes with a lower glycemic index.
• Promoting Sustainable Production Systems: Developing technologies for precision agriculture, improving nutrient and water use efficiency, promoting conservation agriculture, and robust Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
• Revolutionizing Post-Harvest Management and Value Addition: Reducing post-harvest losses (currently ~20%) through improved storage technologies, developing new processing varieties (especially for cold chipping), and creating novel value-added products.

Conclusion: From National Leader to Global Pioneer

For over 75 years, the ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute has been the driving force behind India’s potato revolution. Its integrated approach to research, seed production, and technology dissemination has not only secured a vital food source but also built a robust agricultural economy around the potato. CPRI’s journey is a powerful testament to the impact of sustained public investment in agricultural R&D.

Looking ahead, CPRI’s Vision 2050 provides a clear and ambitious roadmap. By embracing cutting-edge science, focusing on sustainability, and continuing its legacy of innovation, the institute is poised to meet India’s future needs. In doing so, CPRI is set to evolve from a national leader into a global pioneer, becoming a leading international resource for potato research and development, particularly for the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world that face similar challenges of food security and climate change. The legacy of “Kufri” is not just in the past; it is a promise for a food-secure and prosperous future.