India: Punjab Sets 15 October Planting and 31 December Haulm-Cutting Deadlines for Seed Potatoes
A Punjab SOP makes 15 October the last planting date and 31 December the last haulm-cutting date for seed potatoes, with cutting earlier if aphids reach 20 per 100 leaves.
Seed potato growers in Punjab, India, must plant their seed crop by 15 October and cut the haulms, or green tops, by 31 December, under a standard operating procedure (SOP) on dehaulming of the seed potato crop. The document was reported by IndianPotato on 24 September 2026.
The SOP is signed by the Director of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare of Punjab, the Director of Research of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in Ludhiana, the Director of the Punjab State Seed Certification Authority, the Head of the PAU Department of Vegetable Science and the Director of Horticulture of Punjab. The two dates apply to all notified seed areas in the state.
What the rules say
- The seed crop must be planted by 15 October. Late paddy harvest is named as the main obstacle.
- Irrigation should be restricted from mid-December and then stopped, so that the crop starts to wilt naturally.
- Haulms must be cut when the aphid count reaches 20 aphids per 100 leaves, or by 31 December, whichever comes first.
- Tubers should stay in the soil for about 15 days after cutting so that the skin sets before digging.
- Growers must record planting and cutting dates. Seed certification inspectors will check them.
Only a state expert committee may extend the dates. The committee includes the PAU Director of Research, the PAU Head of Vegetable Science and the potato nodal officer of the Horticulture Department. It will base any decision on weather data and must decide by 25 December. Inspectors and local offices cannot change the dates.
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A crop planted on 15 October and cut on 31 December stays in the field for 77 days. The SOP states that seed health and quality take priority over higher tuber yield. The document does not specify penalties.
Why it matters
Punjab is a major source of seed potatoes for other Indian states. Aphids spread viruses such as potato leafroll virus, PVY, PVX and PVA. When aphid numbers rise late in the season, the viruses move into the tubers and reduce the quality of the next crop. Early haulm cutting stops this transfer. A fixed calendar makes inspection simpler and makes the rules the same for all growers.
The cost for growers is yield. Seventy-seven days is short for many varieties, which need 65 to 110 days to mature. Growers who plant late after paddy will lose even more time. For buyers in other states, the SOP should mean cleaner seed with fewer virus problems.
Photo: Potato fields in Todarpur, India (illustrative). Abdullah 467 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
