Diffusion of new techniques for seed potato production and storage among potato farmers in Nuwara Eliya district, Sri Lanka

Cultivation of potatoes and temperate vegetables is a highly profitable farming system in Sri Lanka with potatoes the major cash crop. Use of high quality seed potatoes has been identified as the main requirement for achieving high productivity. Government farms can produce only one quarter of the total requirement and the government cannot afford to import a large quantity of seed potatoes. Nuwara Eliya, with its suitable climatic conditions and soil types, was identified as the district with great potential for seed potato production. Therefore, in the last decade the agricultural extension service in Nuwara Eliya district had focused mainly on seed potato production. Small holders were encouraged to produce high quality seeds by using improved techniques and proper storage. Financial aid and certified seeds of suitable varieties were supplied to the farmers. The current project investigated the diffusion, of relevant techniques and identified problems associated with limited adoption. Two hundred and sixty one potato growers in Nuwara Eliya district were questioned in a personal interview survey. Results confirmed that potato farmers generally had not adopted, recommended practices for seed potato production and storage. Most farmers were still using their accustomed or traditional practices. Each technique had different problems associated with the rate of diffusion. Non-availability of TPS (True Potato Seeds) and complexity of the technique were the major problems for adoption of the TPS technique. No specific reasons were found for rejection of the seed plot technique. Most farmers did not adopt diffuse light stores or rustic seed potato stores because of financial problems and the difficulty of testing them on a small scale. Information about new techniques of seed potato production and storage had not reached many potato farmers, indicating weaknesses in the extension system and shortcomings in supporting services, including the role of contact farmers