New Potato Varieties In 

World

Don Flannery, president of the Maine Potato Board, is not calling it a record year — yet. But with over 80 percent of this season’s potatoes out of the ground, the longtime industry expert said yields are shaping up to be above average.

Climate change is making it harder for farmers to grow enough food to feed their families. A new potato variety called CIP-Matilde, developed by the International Potato Center (CIP) with support from the Crop Trust.

Tubers have battled various scourges for about 10,000 years, as well as an unpredictable climate that can cause unseasonable frost damage to crops every year.

Red Candy, a new potato variety launched by Technico Agri Sciences Ltd, combines early bulking with better storability. This addresses the key concerns of potato growers in e.g. in Bihar and Northern parts of West Bengal.

Across Asia, 170 potato varieties have been released either through the International Potato Center (CIP)’s breeding program over the last four decades or by using germplasm held in its collections.

The triadic comparisons of technologies – or tricot – approach is being used in a citizen-science project funded by the CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB) to identify and scale up best cassava and potato varieties in Rwanda.

Technico Agricultural Sciences Limited (TASL), India has been carrying out extensive varietal evaluation trials under its Varietal Advancement program across the potato producing states in the country.