The branch of the Russian Agricultural Center (Rosselkhoztsentr) for the Novgorod and Pskov regions has begun planting potato microplants in its own greenhouse complex. This season, 22,000 microplants grown in the center’s laboratory using in vitro technology will be placed there. The use of biotechnologies guarantees that the microplants are completely free from viruses, bacteria, and fungal infections — a critical factor for obtaining high-quality yields. Three varieties are being used this year: Innovator, Avrora, and Ryabinushka. The planting of microplants is carried out to subsequently produce minitubers, with plans to harvest over 100,000 high-quality virus-free minitubers.
This step represents an important milestone in providing the region with high-quality seed material on a virus-free basis, including domestically bred varieties. Additionally, 15,000 microplants — mostly of Russian-bred varieties such as Avrora, Ariel, and Krepysh — have been prepared for seed-producing farms. According to Rosselkhoztsentr, this will allow farmers to renew their seed stock, increase yields, and reduce the risks of potato diseases, thereby laying the foundation for future harvests of agricultural producers.
