Wageningen University and Research Launches New Field Trials for Genetically Modified Potatoes

Wageningen University & Research starts new field trials with genetically modified potatoes.  

The potatoes tested in these field trials have been genetically modified by adding or switching off multiple genes. These modifications ensure that the potatoes are resistant to diseases and pests, including late blight disease caused by Phytophthora infestans.

Researchers expect that the use of pesticides can be significantly reduced for these resistant varieties. We will investigate how the resistances perform and how crop protection can be adapted accordingly.
 

DuRPh project

The last field trial, carried out within the DuRPh project, dates back 11 years. At that time, additional resistance genes against Phytophthora were introduced into popular potato varieties. In particular, plants with multiple resistance genes proved to be highly resistant to Phytophthora, in contrast to potato plants that had no or only one resistance gene.

However, the potatoes from the DuRPh project were not brought to market as a potato variety. This is due to the way in which the resistance gene was introduced. This was not done through classical breeding, but via transformation. This is a technological tool that results in a genetically modified potato plant. The use of genetically modified plants falls within European Union legislation that leads to a lengthy, costly and uncertain approval process. Moreover, even after successfully completing this process, market acceptance remains uncertain.
 

Improved technology

Since then, the technology has developed further, and genome editing now allows small, highly targeted changes to be made to the DNA of plants. These are referred to as New Genomic Techniques (NGTs).

NGTs result in plants that could in principle also be developed through classical breeding, meaning that they do not pose new safety risks. In classical breeding, the same resistance genes are used, but due to the slow selection process, new varieties that are resistant to multiple diseases and pests become available for cultivation only slowly. With NGT, the breeding of disease-resistant varieties can be significantly accelerated.

In the EU, a legislative process is underway to exempt plants developed using NGTs from the approval procedure for genetically modified plants. These new trials will show what the application of genome editing and NGT plants means in practice, and this can help to facilitate a public debate on NGT plants and sustainability.

The research is funded by the Dutch ministry of LVVN.