Potato Varieties Cultivated in India: Importance and Uses

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Popular Potato Varieties in India

• • Kufri Sindhuri
  • Kufri Badshah
  • Kufri Lalima
  • Kufri Ashoka
  • Kufri Pukhraj
  • Kufri Sutlej
  • Kufri Anand
  • Kufri Chipsona
  • Kufri Jawahar
  • Kufri Bahar

• Conclusion

Introduction

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. In India, a majority of potatoes have been utilized for domestic table consumption. Freshly harvested potatoes contain about 80% water and 20% dry matter. Approximately 60-80% of dry matter is constituted in the form of starch. Different varieties 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.

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 extent. 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 moderately resistant to early blight and tolerant to Potato Leaf Roll Virus (PLRV). It is suitable for processing.

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 per hectare. Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir are the top states that produce this potato variety. This variety is moderately resistant to early and late blight and resistant to Potato Virus X (PVX).

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 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.

Kufri Pukhraj

Kufri Pukhraj is widely used in states like Maharashtra, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal. It is suitable for table use and cooking purposes like boiling and roasting. Its potatoes are large, oval and slightly tapered. It is white in colour, with fleet eyes and yellow flesh. This variety develops in 70-90 days, and the average yield is 40 tons per hectare. It is resistant to early blight and moderately resistant to late blight.

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 variety is moderately resistant to late blight and suitable for table purposes.

Kufri Anand

Kufri Anand is a variety mostly found in the plains of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Its characteristics include medium oval-long, white, flattened, fleet eyes, smooth skin, and white flesh. It is fully developed in 100-110 days, and its average yield is 35-40 tons per hectare. It is resistant to late blight and tolerant to frost. Kufri Anand makes the best French fries hence is suitable for cooking purposes.

Kufri Chipsona

The Kufri Chipsona variety has medium to large, oval white potatoes. It has fleet eyes and dull white flesh. The crop matures in 90-110 days. The average yield is 40 tons per hectare. It is resistant to late blight and tolerant to frost. It is best suited for making chips and French fries. Kufri Chipsona is mostly found in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

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 variety is moderately resistant to late blight and is suitable in intensive cropping systems. It is suitable for table purposes.

Kufri Bahar

Last but not least, we have the Kufri Bahar potato variety, which 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.

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.