Potato is an important cash crop of Pakistan and widely cultivated in plains and mountains of Punjab. Khyber Pakhtun Khawa Gilgit Baltistan, on an area of 0.313 million hectares in summer, autumn and spring with an annual production of 07.9 million tons. In Pakistan potato yield is 25.2 tons per hectare, which is although above the world average but comparatively low as compare to the potential and other advance potato growing countries because of several reasons. Availability of healthy seeds and advance production technology are the major constraints to achieve the higher potato production goals. It is very alarming that in spite of good position in potato growing countries, we are unable to produce good quality seed. In Pakistan >01% quality seed is available against the seed demand around 0.5-0.7 million tons per annum and mostly depend upon the imported seed 15000-20000 tons per annum. Tissue culture industry has been a proven global technology in potato seed production, so it is dire need of the growing population and climatic change to adopt these modern technologies of potato production for sustainable and higher production and income to contribute potato growing farmers of Pakistan. It is possible with the commercial use of tissue culture and allied techniques as aeroponic potato seed production along with good management and plant protection measures to provide indigenous high vigor and high yield potential potato seed. Pakistan Agricultural Research Council has established Aeroponic Potato Seed Production facility at National Agricultural Research Center with the collaboration of Korean Govt RDA-KOPIA Pakistan. The Aeroponics is a modern technology for growing plants by providing a nutrient solution in the air without soil. Plants grow rapidly in the growth chamber under the aseptic environment, balanced nutrition and sufficient oxygen availability that improves potatoes production in the aeroponic system. This can produce 10 times more yield than conventional production systems. Aeroponics techniques are credited for making potato yield more efficient, and can reduce the number of steps in the potato seed multiplication. Through tissue culture and aeroponics facilities development in Pakistan, first ever more than 200,000 nucleus mini harvested at NARC from the autumn 2021 and spring 2022 planation at KOPIA screen houses. Further seed multiplication from the harvest is under progress at up hills and more than 500,000 tubers (G1) are expected to be harvested during October-November 2022. It is very encouraging, impressive and successful venture of KOPIA at Pakistan for the potato seed production and self-sufficiency to insure food security in the country.

This paper examined farmers’ perceptions and preferences for improved varietal traits in the Wenchi and Offinso North Municipalities of Ghana. Data from 306 randomly selected tomato farmers were analyzed using perception indices, Kendall’s Coefficient of concordance and the Poisson regression model. The results show that tomato farmers are willing to adopt an improved variety with long shelf life, good fruit quality and large fruit size. The study further indicates that tomato farmers lack requisite skills in pest and disease management. The number of varietal attributes preferred by farmers was positively influenced by sex of farmer, education, experience in tomato cultivation, household size, access to credit, FBO membership, extension contacts farm size and off-farm income. These factors and attributes need to be carefully considered by breeders and policy makers in the development of an improved tomato variety to enhance its uptake. The major constraints identified in tomato production include limited access to capital followed by low commodity prices coupled with low demand with the least constraint being access to tractors for land preparation. The potential of adoption of improved tomato varieties in Ghana will be augmented through paragenetic measures towards addressing these constraints.