Potato Varieties Cultivated in India: Importance and Uses

Table of Contents 

• What is the Nutritional Value of Potatoes?
• What are the Uses of Potatoes?
• What are the Popular Potato Varieties in India?
  • Kufri Sindhuri
  • Kufri Chandramukhi
  • Kufri Jyoti
  • Kufri Lauvkar
  • Kufri Badshah
  • Kufri Bahar
  • Kufri Lalima
  • Kufri Jawahar
  • Kufri Sutlej
  • Kufri Ashoka
• Conclusion

What is the Nutritional Value of Potatoes? 

Potatoes are a well-known vegetable in India that are considered the wholesome food in the Indian diet. They are consumed either directly or processed to make products such as chips, flakes, and mashed & canned potatoes. Potatoes are also known as “aloo” in the local language of India. The scientific name of Potato is Solanum tuberosum, which comes from the Solanaceae family.

The nutritional value of potatoes is well acclaimed and is known as a versatile, carbohydrate-rich and low-fat food with a high content of ascorbic acid. Freshly harvested potatoes contain about 80% water and 20% dry matter. Approximately 60-80% of dry matter is constituted in the form of starch. 100-gram boiled potato is known to contain:

• Water (77 gram)
• Carbohydrate (20.1 gram)
• Energy (87 kcal)
• Protein (1.87 gram)
• Dietary fibre (1.8 gram)
• Fat (0.1 gram)
• Vitamin C (13 mg)
• Calcium (5 mg)

What are the Uses of Potatoes?

In India, a majority of potatoes are utilized for domestic table consumption in the form of a vegetable. Also, it is a major ingredient in other vegetable recipes. Potatoes can be fried/baked or eaten boiled. Popular potato-based foods are potato flour, potato chips and french fries.  

Different types of potatoes are grown in different regions in India. Potato cultivation plays a significant role in ensuring food security and offering economic stability. India is the second largest potato producer globally. Several Indian states are among the top 10 potato-producing states in the country, with Uttar Pradesh topping the list.

Let’s have a look at some of the popular potato varieties cultivated in India. 

What are the Popular Potato Varieties in India? 

Kufri Sindhuri 

Kufri Sindhuri is one of the most popular varieties of potato in India. These potatoes are medium-sized and have round, red, deep eyes. This variety takes 110-120 days to develop fully. It can tolerate temperature and water stress to some degree. It has an average yield of 40 tons per hectare. The major producing states of Kufri Sindhuri are Maharashtra, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. This variety is tolerant to Potato Leaf Roll Virus (PLRV) and moderately resistant to early blight. It is suitable for processing. 

Kufri Chandramukhi 

This popular potato variety is cultivated in different states of India, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, and Odisha. The Kufri Chandramukhi variety requires around 80 to 90 days for proper development. This variety is large, round, white with flattened eyes and dull white flesh. Its average yield capacity is around 25 tonnes per acre. This variety is widely used for the preparation of instant flakes and chips. 

Kufri Jyoti 

Kufri Jyoti is another popular potato variety that has significantly become famous in a very short time. It is widely cultivated in different Indian states, such as Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, and Karnataka. Its flesh is white, and the eyes are small and swift. The average yield of this variety is 20 tonnes per acre. It is moderately resistant to early and late blind disease. 

Kufri Lauvkar 

This potato variety is cultivated in different parts of India, such as Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. It consists of distinguishing features such as large and round shapes, white flesh and fleet eyes. In this variety, early tuberization happens during warm climates. The average yield of this variety is around 30 tonnes per hectare. The Kufri Lauvkar variety is widely used to prepare chips. 

Kufri Badshah 

Due to its taste and texture, Kufri Badshah is mostly used in cooking and for table purposes. This variety has large, oval, white, fleet eyes. These potatoes have dulled white flesh, and tubers turn purple when exposed to light. The crop matures in 100-110 days and has an average yield of 50 tons/hectare. Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir are the top states that produce this potato variety. This variety is resistant to Potato Virus X (PVX) and moderately resistant to early and late blight.

Kufri Bahar 

The Kufri Bahar potato variety has white, large, deep eyes and has a relatively slower degeneration rate than other varieties, making it suitable for diverse culinary applications. It takes 100-110 days to get into the mature stage, and the average yield is 45 tons per hectare. Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir are the common states where this particular variety is popular. 

Kufri Lalima 

This potato variety is mostly grown in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Its potatoes are large to medium in size, red and round, with medium-deep eyes and white flesh. The crop matures in 100-110 days. The average yield of this variety is 40 tons per hectare. It is moderately resistant to early blight and Potato Virus Y (PVY). However, it is not suitable for processing. 

Kufri Jawahar 

With a maturity period of 80-90 days, Kufri Jawahar has an average yield of 40 tons per hectare. It is commonly found in states such as Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Karnataka. These potatoes are medium in size and have a round-oval structure. They have creamy white, fleet eyes and pale yellow flesh. This potato variety is moderately resistant to late blight and is suitable in intensive cropping systems. It is suitable for table purposes. 

Kufri Sutlej 

The potatoes from the Kufri Sutlej variety have large, oval, white, fleet eyes and white flesh. They mature fully in 90-100 days. The average yield is 40 tons per hectare. The major potato-producing states are Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. This potato variety is moderately resistant to late blight and suitable for table purposes. 

Kufri Ashoka 

Kufri Ashoka is a popular variety in northern India and some northeastern states such as Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. This variety has large, oval-long, white, fleet eyes and white flesh. The crop takes 70-80 days to develop fully. These are susceptible to late light. The average yield is 40 tons per hectare. Like Kufri Badshah, it is also suitable for table purposes. 

Conclusion 

In this blog, we have explored all the varieties of potatoes with their common regions and characteristics. With the increase in potato consumption in India, it is evident that the demand for processing-quality potatoes will increase in the coming years. Adopting more potato cultivation will bring excellent benefits to farmers and thus contribute significantly to the country's agro-based sector.