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Potato breeding advances at the PRC

June 10, 2014, New Brunswick – Some 1,200 different potatoes from the Potato Research Centre (PRC) breeding program will be planted on 35 acres this spring at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research farm in Benton Ridge, N.B.

The goal is better potatoes for Canadian farmers and consumers around the world. Varieties that require less costly fertilizer and pesticides give farmers a bigger harvest, a better quality crop and improved tolerance to drought and heat stress.

Industry is already evaluating dozens of promising selections for commercialization including seven potatoes with extreme resistance to Potato Virus Y (PVY). Resistance bred into potatoes provides long-term and economical virus protection that otherwise could inflict severe losses every season.

The list of selections in advanced industry tests includes seven french fry and chip potatoes that out-yield current varieties like Russet Burbank or Atlantic by up to 21 per cent in experimental plots depending on the selection and the location.

Research targets disease and pest resistance and bigger yields 
Scientists are exploiting natural resistance found in some exotic or wild potatoes to control major diseases and pest threats. Three potatoes with improved, moderate resistance to some strains of late blight in controlled tests are currently under active evaluation by industry for potential commercialization.

Another 16 new advanced selections showing moderate resistance to some strains of late blight are currently in breeding trials and many more with improved resistance are expected to come out of the breeding program. Late blight, if left uncontrolled, is probably the most devastating disease of potato. Since most (if not all) commercial cultivars are susceptible, they must be protected by multiple fungicides applications, costing Canadian producers a substantial amount of money every year.

The breeding program also has a number of promising potatoes in the pipeline that are expected to offer increased resistance to Colorado potato beetle (CPB) including six chip and eight french fry selections. The CPB is the most important insect pest in Canada and requires chemical control in the absence of resistant varieties. Significant progress has been made in transferring resistance from wild species to cultivated potatoes. Selections with improved CPB resistance are advancing into various stages of the breeding program.

Harvesting more potatoes per acre is another goal of the breeding program. Creating varieties with improved yield allows growers to produce more potatoes than the current standard varieties using less resources. Reduced chemical usage will contribute to savings to growers and to the environmental sustainability of potato production.

And to add a little colour, PRC researchers are working on potatoes with coloured flesh that promise improved antioxidant levels and improved health benefits for consumers.

June 16, 2014  By Potatoes in Canada