Saving the seeds of varieties particularly well-adapted to environmental conditions is important for enhancing production. In India, when the Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla was established in 1949, there were no seed certification standards for potato. The institute, therefore started a systematic seed production program.

Recently, CPRI and PAU signed an agreement for breeder seed production of potato by the university. The MoU was signed by Dr Bir Pal Singh, director, CPRI Shimla and Dr B S Dhillon, vice chancellor, PAU Ludhiana. The main objective of this MoU is to augment the production of breeder seed of important varieties of CPRI by PAU Ludhiana on their seed farm, with the technical collaboration of CPRI Shimla.

On this occasion, Dr N K Krishna Kumar, DDG (Horticultural Science) ICAR and Mr Suresh Kumar, financial commissioner (Development), Government of Punjab were present.