Abstract

BARRIENTOS, JUAN CARLOS  and  NUSTEZ, CARLOS EDUARDO. Diffusion of six new potato varieties in Boyaca and Cundinamarca (Colombia) between 2003 and 2010. rev.colomb.cienc.hortic. [online]. 2014, vol.8, n.1, pp.126-147. ISSN 2011-2173.

Between 2003 and 2005, the National University of Colombia, Bogotá released six new tetraploid potato varieties in the markets of the Boyacá and Cundinamarca Regions: Pastusa Suprema, Esmeralda, Betina, Punto Azul, Ruby and Roja Nariño. However, although all of them are currently present in the market in different proportions, only Pastusa Suprema appears in the official statistics of cultivated varieties in these Regions. In this sense, the purpose of this research was to analyze the diffusion of these six new varieties of potato in Boyacá and Cundinamarca (Colombia) between 2003 and 2010. For this purpose, a survey was carried out with 800 producers in both departments and 15 experts of the potato value chain were interviewed. The obtained results were as follows: six diffusion-channels were identified; the producers-channel was the most important. The diffusion was market-driven. The lack of information for consumers and producers, the low prices for these varieties, and the limited availability of seed were the main obstacles for diffusion. Pastusa Suprema is the most widespread and adopted variety, followed by Esmeralda and Betina, and finally Punto Azul, Rubí and Roja Nariño. The entire cultivated area of the new varieties has steadily increased, reaching 43% of the total potato area in Boyacá and 53% in Cundinamarca for 2010. The main reasons for adoption iclude their high yields and greater resistance to late blight in comparison to "old varieties", while reasons for non-adoption are related to lack of information and unavailability of seed.

Keywords : diffusion channels; adoption; crop area; yields; tetraploid varieties.

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