Wageningen University & Research (WUR), ENDURE’s Dutch partner, is to turn its attention to wild potatoes in the search for resistance to a wide range of potato pests and diseases. WUR says pests and diseases in potato crops are likely to increase due to increasing extremes in temperature and rainfall combined with a reduction in chemical solutions.
WUR says: “This broad approach should yield breeding material that can be used to develop disease-free potato varieties capable of contributing to a sustainable and circular potato production.” The research has been commissioned by the Holland Innovative Potato (HIP) initiative, launched in 2017 to conduct research on sustainable potato chains and including potato breeders, traders and processors, and the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (known by its Dutch initials LNV).
WUR says the main challenge in coming decades will be access to sufficient arable land and fresh water. It explains: “The potato could have a crucial role in solving this challenge, as it is a very efficient crop for food and industrial production in terms of land and water use. Furthermore, the potato is rich in proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and nutrients, thus contributing to a healthy diet. New breeding and processing techniques have become available over the past years, making the potato an important crop in meeting the demand for sustainable production of high-quality food.”
WUR says that while much effort has been made to develop blight-resistant potato varieties, little attention has been paid to other pests and diseases caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses, nematodes and insects.
It says: “The preliminary study has already yielded some usable varieties. These resistant potato varieties will be further investigated by WUR and will subsequently be used by breeding companies affiliated with HIP to develop new breeds. Achieving a sustainable, circular crop by cultivating disease-free varieties is the ultimate ambition.”
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