EEUU: Maine researchers release three new potato varieties

Maine may not lead the nation in potato production, but as the state’s largest cash crop, a partnership between the University of Maine and the Maine Potato Board (MPB) is determined to make sure Maine potato growers of every scale have access to some of the highest quality seeds in order to sustain a bountiful harvest.

Maine may not lead the nation in potato production, but as the state’s largest cash crop, a partnership between the University of Maine and the Maine Potato Board (MPB) is determined to make sure Maine potato growers of every scale have access to some of the highest quality seeds in order to sustain a bountiful harvest.

Over the last year and a half, through funding from the MPB and research development from UMaine, three new varieties of potatoes have been developed and released into the market.

“The University has the research and development capability and commitment for developing new potato varieties, from the lab to the field, which takes years,” Don Flannery, MPB executive director, said in a press release. “They understand what the growers and the industry are looking for and need. We in turn, the MPB, have the capacity to promote the varieties and maintain the quality of seed required for the integrity of the variety and the market.”

The three varieties, Caribou Russet, Sebec and Easton were each developed over a period of 10 to 12 years through a series of cross-pollinations in greenhouse and laboratory research at UMaine and then field tested at UMaine’s Aroostook Research Farm in Presque Isle.Click here to continue reading at mainecampus.com.