Preliminarily assessment of local potato seed multiplication techniques inside Syria for improving potato seed quality and quantities

Potato crop is one of the most important crops in the world as it supports local, regional, and global food security. The main goal of this study, based on the previous CARA funded project findings, is to improve the quality and quantity of local potato seed multiplication in north Syria through deep assessment and evaluation of; the current techniques used in comparison with international standards, which includes: the quality of used standards, technical specifications of the imported potato seeds to Syria, as mother sources of local seed production; local methodology of potato seed multiplications, which are usually used by local seed producers such as seed multiplication directorate; and local Syrian traders for produce potato elite, class A and B seeds inside Syria, which will be distributed next season to the farmers, as well as assessing the current practices of potato production used in the open field. It must be taken into consideration that most imported seeds were contaminated by bacterial pathogens, and most local multiplicated seeds were also contaminated with both bacterial and fungal pathogens as a seed borne disease. To discover the main gaps, mistakes, techniques, storage conditions, incorrect practices of local seed multiplication, and incorrect agricultural practices of open filed potato production, the findings of both seed multiplication techniques and open fields will be used for an extension sessions for the potato seed producers and normal potato producer farmers in order to improve this sector and enhance local food security in north Syria which is very much important and urgent priority, under the current crisis conditions.