Includes bibliographical references.

Potato is the most important vegetable crop, contributing to nearly one-third of the total vegetable production iIndia. It is a significant food and commercial crop in North East India, where it is grown throughout the year in various parts of the region. The region's potato yield was about 10 t/ha, compared to about 23 t/ha nationally during the triennium ending 2019-20. Low adoption and non-adoption of quality seeds of improved varieties were the main reasons for low productivity. There are many key AIS actors that are playing a role in the diffusion of improved potato technologies, which need to be properly identified. Very limited studies have been carried out on the adoption of recent varieties and farmers’ preferences for potato varietal traits. So far, no comprehensive study on AIS in potato cultivation has been conducted in NEI. Thus, the present study has been carried out to analyze the elements of AIS in potato cultivation, map the social network of the AIS actors, study the relationship of the social network variables with the adoption of modern varieties, and identify the farmers’ preferences towards potato varietal traits. Data was collected by interviewing 240 farmers, 120 each from Meghalaya and Assam, and by interviewing 50 AIS actors in Assam and 48 actors in Meghalaya. The study revealed that in Assam, ARIAS; ATMA, Sonitpur; CIP and DoA&H, GoA were the main actors in the diffusion of potato technologies, and in Meghalaya, ICAR-CPRI; DoA & FW, GoM; MBDA and KVK East Khasi Hills were the main actors. Strong linkages were present between the same types of organisations but not among different types of organisations. Most farmers had either no or weak linkages with the non-farmer organisations. The network density of AIS actors in Assam and Meghalaya was 0.26 and 0.16, respectively. The network degree centralization and betweenness centralization indexes of farmers were low in both states. The cohesive measures revealed that the farmers in both states were scattered, thereby slowing the flow of information. About 92 percent of farmers cultivated improved varieties; however, the adoption of recent varieties was very low. Relatives, extension contact, training, farmers’ relationships with actors, social participation, innovativeness, and risk-bearing ability had a significant positive influence on the adoption decision, whereas market distance had a significant negative influence on the adoption decision. Relatives, credit access, extension contact, mass media, farmers’ relationships with peer farmers and AIS actors, innovativeness, extent of adoption, and economic motivation had a significant positive relationship with the adoption intensity. In Assam, farmers preferred medium tuber, average tuber number, cream flesh colour, white skin colour, oval shape, shallow eye, and mealy texture. In Meghalaya, farmers preferred big tubers with many tubers, a cream flesh colour, white skin colour, oval shape, shallow eyes, and a mealy texture. The study concluded that Assam and Meghalaya have almost full adoption of improved potato varieties; however, the adoption of modern varieties is still very low. Thus, the future emphasis of AIS actors in both states should be on the replacement of older varieties with newer varieties. The identified AIS in the study may serve as the platform for implementation/ evaluation of agricultural programmes as well as steps needs to be taken up to strengthen the existing system to enhance the innovation capacity. Farmers’ preferences for varietal traits should be considered by breeders and extension agencies for the future development and diffusion of potato varieties in the region.