The institute is situated in the heart of Shimla city, near Bemloe, which is approximately 4 km from Shimla bus stand and 6 km from Shimla railway station on the National Highway No.22. The seat of the institute is at an altitude of 2,000 metres above mean sea level and has wet temperate climate. The annual precipitation is about 1,500 mm out of which 1,252 mm is received as rainfall and rest as snowfall. The minimum and maximum temperatures during winter range from -20 C to 150 C whereas, that during summer range from 180 C to 280 C respectively. Kufri is situated 17 km away from Bemloe on Shimla-Rampur highway. Initially, the CPRI had 3 research stations at Shimla, Kufri and Bhowali. Presently, it has 7 regional research stations in different potato growing areas of the country. These are located in different potato growing areas of the country, viz. Kufri-Fagu (HP), Modipuram (UP), Jalandhar (Punjab), Gwalior (MP), Patna (Bihar), Shillong (Meghalaya), and Ootacamund (Tamil Nadu).
Potato is a carbohydrate-rich, but low fat food crop grown in nearly 150 countries and is consumed by over one billion people world over. It is a high yielding, short duration crop and up to 80% of its dry matter can be harvested as edible nutritious food. On dry weight basis, the protein content of potato is similar to that of cereals and the quality of potato protein is comparable to that of milk. Potato is a rich source of vitamin C and moderate source of iron, vitamins B1, B3, B6, folate, pantothenic acid, riboflavin and minerals such as potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. It also contains dietary antioxidants, which may play a part in preventing disease related to ageing, and dietary fibre, which benefits health. The Glycemic Index (a measure of the effects of carbohydrates on blood sugar) of boiled potato is 56 (medium) compared to 58 in white rice and 71 in white bread. Therefore, it is a misconception that potato causes obesity and is forbidden for diabetic patient. Potato has the physiological potential to yield about 120 tonnes per hectare. Due to high protein-calorie ratio and short vegetative cycle, potatoes yield substantially more edible energy, protein and dry matter per unit area and time than many other crops. In India, potato can be grown as mixed, inter, relay or sequential crop. It is grown in kharif (plateau), early autumn, main rabi and spring, summer or all the year round in different parts of India. The crop can be harvested 65 days after planting or may be allowed to grow for 100-110 days depending on the cropping system.
Potato research in India formally began on 1st April, 1935 with the opening of three breeding and seed production stations at Shimla, Kufri (both Shimla hills) and Bhowali (Kumaon hills), under the Imperial Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. In 1945, a scheme for the establishment of Central Potato Research Institute was drawn up under the guidance of the then Agriculture Advisor to the Government of India, Sir Herbert Steward and Sir Pheroz M. Kharegat, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture. Dr. B. P. Pal, Dr. S. Ramanujam, Dr. Pushkarnath, and Dr. R.S. Vasudeva participated in the formulation of the scheme and in establishment of the institute. Dr. S. Ramanujam, who was then working as Second Economic Botanist at IARI, was appointed as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) for implementing the scheme in 1946. The institute was established in August 1949 at Patna and started functioning from an old single-storey, barrack-type building provided by the Government of Bihar. Three small units under the IARI looking after potato, namely Potato Breeding Station at Shimla, Seed Certification Station at Kufri, and Potato Multiplication Station at Bhowali were merged with the newly created CPRI. The headquarter of the institute was shifted to Shimla, Himachal Pradesh in 1956 in order to facilitate hybridization work and better maintenance of seed health. The growth and development of potato in the country has never looked back after that. India emerged as the global leader in the area of sub-tropical potato production as a result of well-planned research effort that has been supported and strengthened during successive five year plans. Potato production jumped from mere 1.54 million tonnes from 0.23 million ha area in the year 1949-50 to 45 million tones from 1.96 million ha area during 2012-13, thus making India the second largest potato producer in the world after China.
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the most important food crops after wheat, maize and rice, contributing to food and nutritional security in the world. This tuber crop of the family solanaceae has about 200 wild species. It originated in the high Andean hills of South America, from where it was first introduced into Europe towards the end of 16th century through Spanish conquerors. There the potato developed as a temperate crop and was later distributed throughout the world largely as a consequence of the colonial expansion of European countries. It was introduced to India by early 17th century probably through British missionaries or Portuguese traders.
