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in controlled greenhouse facilities. During
this phase, the plantlets have to be protected
while ensuring that the micro-tubers have the
same healthy quality as they had in the lab.
Also needed, would be a holding facility (cold
storage) to break the dormancy.

L-R - Permanent Secretary Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries (MICAF), Mr. Each 3,000 sq. ft. greenhouse can accommodate
Donovan Stanberry; Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Karl Samuda; 5,000 tissue culture plantlets per 80 days
(standing at back) Executive Director, Scientific Research Council (SRC), Dr. Cliff Riley ; Managing instead of the three (3) months in order to
Director, Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), Mr. Omar Sweeney; Dr. Paul Gyles, Provost, produce 30,000 micro-tubers or 20,000 plantlets
Northern Caribbean University (NCU) Associate Professor, (NCU), Dr. Vincent Wright At the Signing per year producing 120,000 micro-tubers.
of a Memorandum of Understanding for the In-Vitro Propagation of Irish Potato Seeds between JSIF, Therefore 40 x 3000 sq. ft. greenhouses would
MICAF, NCU and the SRC. be needed to harden the 800,000 Irish potato
tissue culture plantlets produced in one year.
The Consultant presented his findings in an Irish Potato Forum in 2014, However, to satisfy the 100% seed requirements
which concluded that due to Jamaica’s consumption needs and the seed for Jamaica it is anticipated that 100 x 3000 sq.
requirements, it is of paramount importance that Jamaica establishes and ft. greenhouses would be required.
develops its own Irish Potato seed production programme. Three (3) of the
five (5) organizations assessed were selected for inclusion in the programme. The REDI project has provided the basic tools
They include: The Scientific Research Council, Northern Caribbean University, and knowledge for Jamaica to begin the journey
and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Agriculture and the Fisheries to reduce dependency on other countries,
Bodles Research Station. However, all three organizations needed some by ultimately supplying 100% of the national
critical equipment in order to embark on a Seed Development Programme. demand, reducing the country’s expenditure and
In addition, there was a need for specific Capacity Building for the Laboratory strengthening Jamaica’s food security.
Technologists.

To date, JSIF has equipped the laboratories at the three organizations with
the critical equipment necessary for the Seed Development Programme and
provided Capacity Building Training in In- Vitro Propagation of Irish Potato to
16 Laboratory Technologists by the Consultant from Vervit bvba. In addition
to the Equipping of the Labs and the Specific Capacity Building of the Lab
Technologists, JSIF has provided materials and Reagents to initiate the
Development of Irish Potato seeds in Jamaica.

In-Vitro Propagation of Irish Potato
The Reagents and materials provided by JSIF will be able to produce a total of
800,000 Irish potato tissue culture plantlets. These plantlets, when planted in
greenhouses will produce 4,800,000 micro-tubers. These micro-tubers when
planted in the open field at the rate of 17,000 per acre, will need 282 acres of
land.

With a multiplication factor of six, the 282 acres will provide enough planting
material (67,760 x 25kg bags) to plant 1,694 acres of land, equivalent to 50%
of the Jamaica planting material requirements

However, in order to achieve the 50% planting material for sale to farmers,
a number of critical elements are required. These include greenhouses
(approximately 3,000 sq ft. in size) for hardening the plantlets leading to
the production of micro-tubers. Ex-Vitro potato plants need to be hardened

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