Netherlands: GMO varieties under field trials

Wageningen University (WUR), in collaboration with the Dutch government, has launched an innovative study to evaluate new crop varieties developed through New Genomic Techniques (NGTs). The main objective is to increase stacked resistance against the devastating pathogen Phytophthora infestans while significantly reducing the use of chemical pesticides. 

This trial represents an important technological step forward for the institution, which has not conducted a field study of this scale in eleven years, when it carried out the DuRPh project (Durable Resistance against Phytophthora). However, unlike that project, which used traditional genetic transformation methods and faced major regulatory hurdles, high costs, and market resistance, the current research is based on precise gene-editing techniques such as CRISPR-Cas.&
 

A shift in the European regulatory landscape

The regulatory environment in the European Union is undergoing a period of transformation. After more than twenty years of strict regulations on transgenic crops, the EU is moving toward a more flexible legislative framework for NGTs. This new approach focuses on regulating only those modifications that could not occur naturally through breeding or spontaneous mutation. Mutations controlled through tools such as CRISPR-Cas and cisgenesis (the addition of genes from the same species) are included under this flexibility, while the introduction of exogenous genes will continue to be strictly prohibited.  
 

Trials with the Innovator variety

In the experimental crops, the planted potatoes belong to the commercial variety Innovator, which shows no notable visual differences. However, their genomes have been precisely modified: one group has been given one or two resistance genes against the fungus Phytophthora infestans, while another had a specific gene switched off through CRISPR-Cas to improve its immune response. 

To test the real effectiveness of these genetic modifications, the scientists designed a trial based on three crop management approaches: one plot without any chemical application, another with regular spraying, and a third in which chemical treatments are applied only after detecting an active infection.
 

Objective of reducing pesticide use

According to researcher Ania Lukasiewicz, the central aim of the study is to reduce the use of chemical pesticides as much as possible. However, she notes that the highly variable nature of the pathogen in the soil requires constant monitoring, since there is a risk that Phytophthora could adapt and overcome the new resistances. These genomic tools make it possible to develop resistant varieties more quickly, which is key to anticipating the behavior of the fungus. 

The first signs of the disease are expected to begin appearing in the field from July onward. It will then be possible to observe the differences among the three treatments being studied. The experimental harvest is scheduled for late September or early October, when the data obtained will provide a valuable analysis of the viability and effectiveness of these techniques.