India and Tajikistan Open Potato Research Channel: Aeroponics Seed Technology Tops the Agenda
India and Tajikistan are exploring new avenues of cooperation in potato research, cultivation, quality seed production, technology exchange and capacity building, The Tribune reported on October 3, 2026. The discussions took place during a virtual interaction between scientists from the ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) in Shimla and representatives of LCC AKOMA, Tajikistan, with support from the Embassy of the Republic of Tajikistan in New Delhi. The meeting was organised under the directions of India's Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
Aeroponics emerged as the key area of potential cooperation. The technology — growing potato plants with roots suspended in air and misted with nutrient solution — enables rapid multiplication of high-quality, disease-free planting material and can fundamentally strengthen seed systems in countries where seed quality is the binding constraint on yields. Dr Brajesh Singh, Director of ICAR-CPRI, highlighted the importance of aeroponics in improving the availability of quality potato seed and supporting modern cultivation practices. Tajik representatives expressed keen interest in gaining practical exposure to the technology and its associated production methods.
Two concrete follow-ups were discussed. The first is a proposed exposure visit by the Tajik delegation to ICAR-CPRI in Shimla, to familiarise itself with the institute's research facilities, aeroponics-based seed production systems and crop management practices. The second is specialised training programmes for Tajik agricultural professionals at CPRI, aimed at building practical skills in modern potato cultivation and seed production. Dr Singh said such capacity-building initiatives would promote technical knowledge exchange and give Tajik professionals hands-on experience in advanced potato production.
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The significance extends beyond a bilateral science talk. Tajikistan's potato sector, like much of Central Asia's, is constrained less by land or climate than by the chronic shortage of certified seed; importing elite material is expensive, and local multiplication systems are weak. India's offer of aeroponics know-how addresses precisely that bottleneck — and for India, the channel extends the international reach of a public research system whose Kufri varieties already cover nearly 75% of its own potato area. Neither side has announced dates for the exposure visit or the training programmes, and no formal agreement has been signed so far — the interaction, in the source's own framing, marks a first step towards institutional ties, with details to be clarified as the talks progress.
