Priority, Viral Cleaning, Seed Production and Restoration of Native Cultivars Free of Viruses
Víctor IRIARTE SEJAS unknown (1998 only) laureate°1967 Bolivia Agricultural engineer, Universidad Mayor San Simón, Bolivia, 1992
Priorización, limpieza viral, producción de semilla y devolución de cultivares nativos libres de virus
In several regions in Bolivia, situated at high altitude and under extreme climatological conditions, twenty-four varieties of potato were selected. These varieties resist abiotic factors and they lend themselves well to different types of food preparation. They have been used in experiments aimed at the elimination of viruses.
Virus-affected potato tubers were harvested and subjected to a virus-killing technique. In this way, healthy plants were produced in a test station or in situ on the fields. Afterwards, these healthy plants were sent back to the different agricultural communities they originally came from. There, the first cultivation tests yielded very satisfactory results. The demand for virus-free varieties will contribute to the preservation of biodiversity and to a sustainable agriculture.
