Gran Bretaña: Potatoes in Practice 2018: Climate-resilient spuds are the focus

This potentially provides potato breeders with a valuable tool in their quest to create varieties resilient to heat stress and suited to the requirements of growers, industry and retailers.

The findings were discussed by Dr Mark Taylor at Potatoes in Practice 2018, as part of a wider examination of how stress-resistant crops can be an important resource to preserve food security in the face of increased temperatures, such as those brought about by the recent UK heatwave.

Dr Taylor: “Potato is essentially a cool climate crop. For many commercial potato cultivars, tuber yield is optimal at average day time temperatures in the range of 14-22˚C. When the weather is warmer, tuber production is inhibited, reducing potato tuber production, with damaging consequences for both producer and consumer.”

“Heat tolerant varieties are especially important for Scottish seed exports to growing markets in warm countries. Although most potato varieties are sensitive to heat there is significant variation in response to heat stress between different potato cultivars, and recent research at the Hutton has led to the discovery of genetic variations which can help protect potato crop yields at high temperature.”

Hutton.ac.uk reports how other recent research has identified gene variants that result in more rapid tuber development and these early maturing potatoes may evade climate and disease threats. Potato types carrying the useful, naturally occurring gene variants are currently being trialled in warm, dry environments by partners in Malawi and Kenya.