Growing Profits with Aeroponic Seed Potatoes

Roots in air, returns of Rs 1 crore: A Bathinda farmer cultivates potato seeds without soil

The 30-year-old farmer from Maur Khurd village in Bathinda district, in the very first year of cultivation through aeroponic potato seed production, has achieved a turnover of over Rs 1 crore

Aeroponic Seed Potatoes | Anju Agnihotri Chab |

IMAGE: Instead of taking loans to settle abroad or selling family land, he chose to stay and invest a substantial amount in agriculture.

At a time when Punjab’s agriculture is grappling with shrinking farm incomes, rising input costs and an overdependence on the wheat–paddy cycle, Ramandeep Singh, a small farmer, is quietly scripting a high-tech success story by growing seed potatoes in the air instead of conventional soil-based methods.

The 30-year-old farmer from Maur Khurd village in Bathinda district, in the very first year of cultivation through aeroponic potato seed production, has achieved a turnover of over Rs 1 crore.

Ramandeep’s father, Sarabjit Singh, owns only four acres of land, traditionally devoted to wheat and paddy seed production. Out of which, the 30-year-old has converted just 2.5 kanal of land — less than one-third of an acre — into a technology-driven venture that is redefining the economics of farming.

He holds a BSc in Agriculture from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU, Ludhiana) and is currently pursuing an MSc in Plant Breeding.

The Aeroponic facility includes high-tech greenhouses, dark chambers for root and tuber development, drying chambers, cold rooms and cold storage units, he informed. Plants are supported on specially designed sheets with holes, allowing roots to hang freely in the air, with proper systems for water and nutrient application. “This allows precise control over nutrients, water, temperature, moisture and disease, making it ideal for producing genetically pure, virus-free planting material,” Ramandeep explained.

“Like most farming families in Punjab, our livelihood revolved entirely around the wheat–paddy cycle. Three years ago, I realised that surviving in agriculture required moving beyond conventional crops and adopting advanced technologies,” Ramandeep recalled.

Instead of taking loans to settle abroad or selling family land, he chose to stay and invest a substantial amount in agriculture.

Ramandeep explored hydroponics and zeroed in on aeroponic potato seed production. The practice has the ability to generate high returns from a very small area and by the growing national demand for virus-free, early-generation potato seed.

“I entered the aeroponic potato seed segment three years ago, producing Generation-0 (G-0) mini-tubers — the first and most critical link in the potato seed multiplication chain. These virus-free seeds are further multiplied into G-1, G-2 and G-3 generations, which ultimately form the backbone of commercial potato cultivation across India.”

“Only around eight per cent of India’s potato seed requirement is currently met through organised, virus-free systems. This huge gap offers immense opportunities for farmers willing to invest in technology,” Ramandeep explained.

Punjab has for decades supplied quality seed potatoes to farmers across India, and new aeroponic seed potato technology could prove to be a game changer for India’s seed supply system, he said.

 The Bathinda facility is among the largest aeroponic potato seed units in the region.

The total investment in the project so far ranges between Rs 1.65 crore and Rs 1.70 crore. Unlike many protected cultivation ventures, no government subsidy is available for aeroponic potato seed production, Ramandeep said. On the family’s 2.5 kanal of land stands the aeroponic facility that houses double greenhouse units, each measuring 40×100 feet, with a combined production capacity of nearly one million G-0 mini-tubers per season.

Depending on the variety, the G-0 produce alone is valued at over Rs 1 crore. When these tubers are multiplied into G-1 seed, their quantity increases nearly five-fold and the turnover rises to Rs 2–2.5 crore, he said.

The greenhouses are covered with high-grade thermo-volatile poly sheets, designed to last nearly ten years. The cost also includes a fee for acquiring the technology under a technology transfer memorandum of understanding (MoU).

The ICAR–Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), Badshahpur, Jalandhar, has developed this technology and is now disseminating it to interested farmers by signing MoUs for technology transfer, while also providing technical guidance.

Ramandeep said, “We are grateful to Dr Sukhwinder Singh of CPRI, who developed this aeroponic technology and provided us with complete knowledge and support in setting up this facility.”

The unit became operational in 2023, Ramandeep said, adding that the first harvest was taken in early 2024. This is now the third year of production, and he has almost recovered the entire setup cost this year, earning over 50 per cent profit.

Each fresh tissue culture plant, costing Rs 16 per plant, produces 70–80 mini-tubers… These are carefully plucked, dried, hardened and stored under controlled conditions. The planting cycle begins in October-November. After a month of growth, tuber formation starts. Harvesting begins in December and continues till April and even May.

“G-0 mini-tubers are planted in open fields to produce G-1 seed, which is further multiplied into G-2 and G-3. Around 40,000 G-0 tubers are required per acre, which can produce nearly two lakh G-1 tubers… increases nearly five times at each stage, making early-generation seed extremely valuable.”

The Aeroponic facility includes high-tech greenhouses, dark chambers for root and tuber development, drying chambers, cold rooms and cold storage units, he informed. (Express Photo)

At a time when Punjab’s agriculture is grappling with shrinking farm incomes, rising input costs and an overdependence on the wheat–paddy cycle, Ramandeep Singh, a small farmer, is quietly scripting a high-tech success story by growing seed potatoes in the air instead of conventional soil-based methods.

The 30-year-old farmer from Maur Khurd village in Bathinda district, in the very first year of cultivation through aeroponic potato seed production, has achieved a turnover of over Rs 1 crore.

Ramandeep’s father, Sarabjit Singh, owns only four acres of land, traditionally devoted to wheat and paddy seed production. Out of which, the 30-year-old has converted just 2.5 kanal of land — less than one-third of an acre — into a technology-driven venture that is redefining the economics of farming.

He holds a BSc in Agriculture from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU, Ludhiana) and is currently pursuing an MSc in Plant Breeding.

 Instead of taking loans to settle abroad or selling family land, he chose to stay and invest a substantial amount in agriculture.

The Aeroponic facility includes high-tech greenhouses, dark chambers for root and tuber development, drying chambers, cold rooms and cold storage units, he informed. Plants are supported on specially designed sheets with holes, allowing roots to hang freely in the air, with proper systems for water and nutrient application. “This allows precise control over nutrients, water, temperature, moisture and disease, making it ideal for producing genetically pure, virus-free planting material,” Ramandeep explained.

“Like most farming families in Punjab, our livelihood revolved entirely around the wheat–paddy cycle. Three years ago, I realised that surviving in agriculture required moving beyond conventional crops and adopting advanced technologies,” Ramandeep recalled.

Instead of taking loans to settle abroad or selling family land, he chose to stay and invest a substantial amount in agriculture.

Ramandeep explored hydroponics and zeroed in on aeroponic potato seed production. The practice has the ability to generate high returns from a very small area and by the growing national demand for virus-free, early-generation potato seed.

“I entered the aeroponic potato seed segment three years ago, producing Generation-0 (G-0) mini-tubers — the first and most critical link in the potato seed multiplication chain. These virus-free seeds are further multiplied into G-1, G-2 and G-3 generations, which ultimately form the backbone of commercial potato cultivation across India.”

“Only around eight per cent of India’s potato seed requirement is currently met through organised, virus-free systems. This huge gap offers immense opportunities for farmers willing to invest in technology,” Ramandeep explained.

Punjab has for decades supplied quality seed potatoes to farmers across India, and new aeroponic seed potato technology could prove to be a game changer for India’s seed supply system, he said.

 The Bathinda facility is among the largest aeroponic potato seed units in the region.

The total investment in the project so far ranges between Rs 1.65 crore and Rs 1.70 crore. Unlike many protected cultivation ventures, no government subsidy is available for aeroponic potato seed production, Ramandeep said. On the family’s 2.5 kanal of land stands the aeroponic facility that houses double greenhouse units, each measuring 40×100 feet, with a combined production capacity of nearly one million G-0 mini-tubers per season.

Depending on the variety, the G-0 produce alone is valued at over Rs 1 crore. When these tubers are multiplied into G-1 seed, their quantity increases nearly five-fold and the turnover rises to Rs 2–2.5 crore, he said.

The greenhouses are covered with high-grade thermo-volatile poly sheets, designed to last nearly ten years. The cost also includes a fee for acquiring the technology under a technology transfer memorandum of understanding (MoU).

The ICAR–Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), Badshahpur, Jalandhar, has developed this technology and is now disseminating it to interested farmers by signing MoUs for technology transfer, while also providing technical guidance.

Ramandeep said, “We are grateful to Dr Sukhwinder Singh of CPRI, who developed this aeroponic technology and provided us with complete knowledge and support in setting up this facility.”

The unit became operational in 2023, Ramandeep said, adding that the first harvest was taken in early 2024. This is now the third year of production, and he has almost recovered the entire setup cost this year, earning over 50 per cent profit.

Each fresh tissue culture plant, costing Rs 16 per plant, produces 70–80 mini-tubers… These are carefully plucked, dried, hardened and stored under controlled conditions. The planting cycle begins in October-November. After a month of growth, tuber formation starts. Harvesting begins in December and continues till April and even May.

“G-0 mini-tubers are planted in open fields to produce G-1 seed, which is further multiplied into G-2 and G-3. Around 40,000 G-0 tubers are required per acre, which can produce nearly two lakh G-1 tubers… increases nearly five times at each stage, making early-generation seed extremely valuable.”

 The unit became operational in 2023, Ramandeep said, adding that the first harvest was taken in early 2024.

From one million G-0 tubers, nearly five million G-1 tubers are produced in around 25 acres of land through contract farming. Ramandeep supplies G-0 seed to farmers free of cost and later procures the entire produce at pre-agreed per-acre rates, paying farmers as per the contract.

G-1 seed is sold at Rs 4-5 per tuber. After meeting all expenses, net annual profits range between 50 and 60 per cent. G-1 seed is further sown in over 100 acres to produce G-2 seed, and eventually across nearly 1,000 acres for G-3 seed through contract and direct farming.

Ramandeep said the unit produces multiple varieties including Santana Fry and Dona Fry, chipping varieties like Chipsona-1, Chipsona-2 and LR, table varieties such as Diamond and Pukhraj.

The Bathinda facility is among the largest aeroponic potato seed units in the region.

“The initiative is already benefiting other small farmers, many of whom purchase G-0 seed in limited quantities and multiply it on small landholdings to produce seed for much larger acreage,” said Sarabjit.

However, Ramandeep cautions that the system is not for the unprepared. “Aeroponics requires high initial investment, technical understanding and constant monitoring. Even a minor pump failure or power outage must be avoided.”

Yet, he believes that with proper training and institutional support, aeroponics can be a game changer in the production of virus-free seed.

“Once the chain is established, it becomes a long-term ecosystem involving farmers, seed producers and processing companies, and one can earn a high amount depending on one’s reach and efforts.”

Original Article: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/roots-in-air-returns-of-rs-1-crore-a-bathinda-farmer-cultivates-potato-seeds-without-soil-10493394/