Xiji, Ningxia Accelerates the Renewal and Upgrading of Improved Potato Varieties

In 2015, Xiji County seized the opportunity of the state launching the strategy of making potatoes a staple food and the autonomous region designating Xiji as a pilot county for making potatoes a staple food, strengthened the implementation of measures, and promoted the transformation and upgrading of the potato industry.

First, increase funding input. It mainly supported the construction of the potato three-level seed potato breeding system and the 100,000-mu standardized potato planting industrial belt. For the original seed breeding base, the government subsidized 0.3 yuan per true potato seed; for the first-class seed breeding base, 120 kg of high-quality original seed was subsidized per mu. For the 100,000-mu standardized potato planting industrial belt, 120 kg of high-quality seed, 35 kg of chemical fertilizer, 60 yuan for mechanized operations, and 40 yuan for late blight prevention and control funds were subsidized per mu.

Second, increase the selection and breeding of improved varieties. In Jiangtai Township and Huoshizhai Township, research bases (parks) for special varieties for making potatoes a staple food and supporting technologies were established respectively, and 60 special varieties with high quality, high yield, stress resistance, excellent comprehensive traits, and suitable for staple food development were introduced and screened, accelerating the pace of renewal and upgrading of improved varieties, further optimizing the variety structure, and building a diversified production pattern for improved potato varieties oriented by market demand.