| Root Crops
Durably resistant potatoes with wild potato genes
offer 80% reduction in chemical control
10 Years of research into sustainable resistance against phytophthora
(DuRPh) concluded with scientific publication and brochure.
research project
into the
development of
potatoes with
sustainable
resistance against
phytophthora via genetic
modification with genes from wild
potato varieties and good
resistance management (DuRPh)
has concluded with a scientific
publication on the research
results. The Wageningen UR
scientists indicated that their
approach was successful in
developing potato plants which
require 80% less chemical control.
The potato is the third food crop
and offers a relatively high yield
and valuable food per hectare.
Global potato cultivation is,
however, under threat from the
pathogen Phytophthora infestans.
Farmers who can afford to do so
spray their crops against the
pathogen with chemicals up to 15
times a year, which is both
expensive and harmful to the
environment. Farmers without the
means for chemical control lose a
large part of their yield in some
years as a result of the disease.
Published in Potato Research,
A
www.farmingmonthly.co.uk
the scientific publication describes
the ten-year DuRPh study
performed by Wageningen UR
commissioned by the Dutch
Ministry of Economic Affairs. The
goal of the research was to find
‘proof of principle’ for genetically
modifying existing potato varieties
solely with genes of potato species
in order to develop a durable
resistance against phytophthora.
These potatoes could substantially
reduce the global use of crop
protection products and make a
major contribution to the
production of extra food.
To foster the durability of the
resistance, Wageningen scientists
brought combinations of
resistance genes from wild
potatoes over to cultivated
potatoes, and developed a
method for managing the use of
various resistances.
The scientists mapped scores
of resistance genes from wild
potatoes of which nearly half were
‘cloned’ so that they could be
transformed to existing potato
varieties as single genes or in sets
of two or three. After the scientists
had determined that they could
actually make susceptible potato
varieties resistant, these potato
plants were then multiplied to
provide sufficient potatoes for
research on trial fields.
The resistant potatoes were
studied in the field in various ways.
In small ‘monitoring plots’ they
also were used to study which
types of phytophthora were
present on the land. In larger
demonstration fields, visitors from
the sector and the general public
could see the success of the
attempt to make vulnerable
potatoes resistant to phytophthora
for four consecutive years.
The DuRPh research also aimed
to make an intrinsic contribution to
the discussion about genetic
modification in society. To achieve
this, the Wageni ngen research
team organised meetings for the
potato chain, social organisations
and the general public. Visitors
were able to see the genetically
modified potatoes in the field with
their own eyes, and note how well
they coped against the
phytophthora disease. The
scientists also delivered many
presentations both in the
Netherlands and abroad.
April 2016 | Farming Monthly | 21