Pre-basic seed potato minitubers from Türkiye.
We produce pre-basic (G0) seed potato minitubers in a tissue-culture laboratory and an aeroponic greenhouse on one site in Bala, Ankara. We offer contract production to seed companies and seed programmes in Türkiye (Turkey) and in markets that accept seed potatoes from Türkiye, and we plan production around your variety and planting date.
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Pre-basic TC (G0) seed potato minitubers
Our product is the first generation of the seed potato chain. Under Türkiye's Seed Potato Certification and Marketing Regulation, production in a controlled environment from tissue-culture plantlets, or from minitubers that have never left the controlled environment, is classed as Süper Elit (Article 5).
The Turkish classes run in the same order as those of the UNECE S-1 seed potato standard: pre-basic TC, pre-basic, basic and certified. In international trade the same material is known as pre-basic TC or G0 seed potato (generation zero), as it comes before the first field multiplication.
We have produced aeroponic minitubers of Agria, Jelly, Marabel and Melody, and we also work with your own variety or with public varieties. Protected varieties are produced only with the variety owner's permission. Our capacity is 5 million minitubers a year (product overview).
Potato minituber production by tissue culture and aeroponics
Our laboratory and 1,050 m² aeroponic greenhouse, established in 2024, share one site in Beynam, Bala, Ankara. Material does not leave the facility between stages, and every stage is recorded.
In the laboratory, clean starting material is multiplied under sterile conditions; each plantlet is a copy of its mother plant. After acclimatisation the plantlets move onto aeroponic panels, where the roots hang in a dark chamber and are fed by a nutrient mist. Irrigation, nutrition and climate are automated around the clock. Minitubers are harvested in sequence as they mature, then graded and rested before dispatch.
| Conventional (in soil) | Aeroponic | |
|---|---|---|
| Root environment | Soil | Air, with nutrient solution as mist |
| Soil contact | Yes | None, so no risk of soil-borne disease |
| Minitubers per plantlet, as stated by the Potato Research Institute, Niğde (2016) | 6 on average | 80 can be obtained |
Contract minituber production for seed companies and seed programmes
We do not sell minitubers from stock. We plan production around your variety, volume and planting window.
Contract production is open to seed companies holding rights to a variety, processor seed programmes, breeders who need rapid multiplication or clean trial material, and public bodies multiplying public varieties (Partnership). The process has four steps:
- Introductory call: variety, volume and calendar.
- Information exchange: technical dossier and certificates under a non-disclosure agreement.
- Site visit: the laboratory and greenhouse, in person or online.
- Pilot production: a small lot first, then scale-up based on the results.
From order to planting
One greenhouse cycle takes 3–4 months, and we run three cycles a year. From order to delivery, allow 4–8 months; the range depends on which cycle the order enters.
Freshly harvested minitubers also go through a dormancy period before they sprout, and its length depends on the variety. For an export order, the importer's permits and the phytosanitary inspection add their own lead time. We plan backwards from your planting date and agree the production cycle with you.
What the destination country requires
The European Union and the United Kingdom do not allow seed potatoes from Türkiye. Entry 15 of Annex VI to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 prohibits seed potatoes from third countries other than Switzerland, and the version in force in Great Britain also prohibits seed potatoes from Türkiye. We do not offer minitubers for these markets.
On the Turkish side, exporting a variety protected in Türkiye requires the owner's permission (Law 5042, Article 14).
In other destination countries, importing seed potatoes from Türkiye usually requires:
- a variety registered in the destination country;
- a local importer who holds the import and quarantine permits;
- a phytosanitary certificate issued by Türkiye's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, with the additional declarations the importing country sets.
Rules in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan
Azerbaijan: Collegium Decision 41 of the Food Safety Agency (AQTA) has a row for seed potato tubers, HS 0701 10, that excludes only microplants and microtubers, so minitubers fall under it. The tubers must be free from the listed pests, the phytosanitary certificate must name the producer and the production site, and the amount of soil adhering to the tubers is limited.
Uzbekistan: under Presidential Resolution PQ-269 of 8 September 2025, from 2026 domestic and imported seed potatoes may not be planted without a positive planting suitability report and a digital QR-code label.
For any other country, tell us where you plant and we will review the requirements with you and your importer. Buyers in Central Asia and the Caucasus can also use our Russian-language page.
Credentials
We hold the Tissue-Culture Seed Producer Authorisation of Türkiye's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, no. 06D.0004, valid until 9 August 2029. The Ministry's 2026 list of authorised tissue-culture seed producers names 15 organisations. We are a member of the potato group of TSÜAB, the Seed Industrialists and Producers Sub-Union.
The Ministry's Storage Inspection Report records that no quarantine pests or diseases were detected in our pre-basic lot. Original documents are shared during the introductory call and the site visit (Credentials).
Frequently asked questions
Is Turkish Süper Elit the same class as the Dutch SE?
No. In the Dutch NAK classification, SE is a basic class grown in the field. Turkish Süper Elit is the tissue-culture class produced in a controlled environment before any field generation: the material international buyers know as pre-basic TC or G0.
Who owns the material in contract production?
You do. We produce the first generation of a variety you hold rights to, on your behalf; the material and all rights remain yours, and technical information is exchanged under a non-disclosure agreement.
We grow table potatoes. Should we buy minitubers?
Growers plant certified seed. Seed companies produce that seed from minitubers over several field generations and sell it. Our minitubers, the first link, are for those seed companies and for institutions. For your own fields, certified seed from a seed company is the right material.
Can we visit the facility or trial a sample lot first?
Yes to both. You can visit the laboratory and greenhouse in Bala, Ankara, in person or online, and review the original documents. Pilot production starts with a small lot, and sample lots are available.