In soilless culture like aeroponics, nutrient optimization is the most critical factor to produce high quality and high yield of clean potato seed. Each crop has an optimum nutritional requirement. Even each potato cultivar may require a specific nutrient solution in an aeroponics unit. A nutrient optimization experiment was conducted at Holetta agricultural research center to study the effect of different nutrient solution levels on the physical quality and yield of potato mini-tubers. The treatments were four different nutrient solutions of greenhouse grade macro nutrients measured in (g) for the preparation of 500 liter volume of nutrient solution that is to be restocked when the nutrient tank becomes empty. The nutrient EC and pH were adjusted as per the requirements. A=(118 g CaNO₃, 252 g KNO₃, 68 g KH₂PO₄and 100 g MgSO₄) ,B=(59 g CaNO₃, 126 g KNO₃, 68 g KH₂PO₄and 100 g MgSO₄), C=(118 g CaNO₃, 252 g KNO₃, 68 g KH₂PO₄and 100 g MgSO₄until flowering and reduced by half after flowering), and D=(118 g CaNO₃, 252 g KNO₃, 136 g KH₂PO₄and 100 g MgSO₄). All treatments included 2.2g of Fe EDTA and 6 g of Fetrilon combi. The potato variety, Belete, was used for the experiment. Acclimatized plantlets were planted randomly in each box of four treatments in CRD design with three replicates. The results showed that each treatment varied in nutrient consumption rate. Treatment A took the highest amount of nutrient (3.29 kg, 28%), treatments B and D consumed the same amount (3.1 kg, 27%), while treatment C consumed the smallest amount (2.02 kg). Roo length was significantly affected by nutrient solutions. Nutrient solution C resulted the maximum root length (300.8 cm), while nutrient solution A produced minimum root length (135.5 cm). Plant height was not significantly affected by nutrient solutions. Small size tubers (12 g) were significantly affected by nutrient solutions both in number and weight. The maximum tuber numbers was obtained from treatment B. Therefore, the experiment indicated that treatment B represents the optimum nutrient concentration rate to use in an aeroponics minituber production system under Holetta conditions.

Malnutrition is one of the global issues of public health concern, and iron and zinc deficiencies are at the top of the list. Iron deficiency affects more than 2 billion people in the world and is a major cause of anemia. Potato has the potential to be an important source of iron and zinc. This study assessed the nature and magnitude of genetic variability in Fe and Zn concentrations, tuber yield, and quality traits among biofortified tetraploid potato clones and their relationships through correlation and path analysis. A total of 45 potato genotypes, including the variety Gudanie, were grown in field trials in a 9 × 5 alpha lattice design with three replications. Significant differences in mineral, tuber quality, and yield traits were observed among the genotypes, and high broad-sense heritability was obtained for most traits, suggesting that progress through breeding can be achieved. However, negative correlations and direct effects on most of the traits with Fe and Zn contents are found both at genotypic and phenotypic levels. Therefore, attaining simultaneous genetic gain for yield and enhanced Fe and Zn concentrations will be challenging. Cluster analysis assembled them into five groups. Cluster II contained the most prominent genotypes, having better mean values compared to all other genotypes for micronutrient traits, viz., Fe (23.80 mg kg⁻¹) and Zn (17.07 mg kg⁻¹). The results of this study confirm the presence of sufficient genetic variation for iron and zinc mineral concentration and the possibility to make significant progress through breeding.

Review of Potato Research and Development in Ethiopia: Achievements and Future Prospects

Quality seed is one of the major bottlenecks hampering the production and productivity of potato not only in Ethiopia but also in Sub-Saharan Africa. Since the 1970’s, the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research has generated a number of improved potato production technologies such as improved varieties with accompanying agronomic practices, crop protection measures, postharvest handling techniques and utilization options. The developed technologies were promoted from 2013-2015 via technology promotion and popularization to the Wolmera, Adea-Bera and Ejere districts with the objective of creating awareness and up scaling of improved potato production and utilization technologies. The Potato Improvement Research Program and the Research and Extension Division of Holetta Research Center in collaboration with extension staff of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) undertake this activity. The farmers were selected and organized in Farmer Field Schools and all stakeholders were engaged before distributing potato seeds and planting on selected farmers’ fields for demonstrating of potato production technologies. A total of 899 farmers and 40 agricultural experts were trained and 27.7, 9 and 5.5 tons of quality seeds of Gudanie, Jalenie and Belete potato varieties, respectively, were delivered as a revolving seed with their recommended agronomic packages; this amount of seed covered 21.1 ha. A total of 16 farmer groups from Wolmera, 7 from Adea-Berga, and 11 from Ejere participated. They produced over 434 tons of relatively clean seed and constructed 8 diffused light stores. In addition to the demonstration of improved potato varieties, information dissemination was also an important component of the program to raise awareness for a large numbers of potato growers through farmers’ field days, pamphlets, and mass media. Each year about three field days were organized and more than 1500 pamphlets were distributed to farmers invited from neighboring districts and ‘Kebeles’ to enhance speed. Through this intervention farmers are now harvesting a yield of about 26-34 t/ha up from 8t/ha when they were using inferior quality potato seed; this has made the farmers in the intervention area more food secure especially during the usually food scarce months of August to October when cereal crops are generally yet to mature. The farmers are also getting additional income from the sale of excess potato and are able to better meet other necessary costs like school fees, for their children.