Solynta presents potato revolution

The Dutch breeding company Solynta, a specialist in tomatoes, of course, may be revolutionizing the potato world. By building a multiple Phytophthora resistance in a potato variety, the breeders hope to put a robust variety on the market. It must be able to withstand the dreaded fungus.

Breeding specialist Solynta from Wageningen has been working for several years on potato varieties with multiple resistance to phytophthora. This gives it a potentially groundbreaking innovation. Such a variety takes 5 years to breed, while the conventional method takes 15 years. Het Financieele Dagblad spoke with Solynta director Hein Kruyt.

Stacking resistance makes plants resilient
On Wednesday, August 23, the company will present their latest innovation. A potato with a twofold resistance to phytophthora. The current resistant varieties have built-in simple resistance. They are broken relatively quickly. "Solynta will show that we can quickly build in a twofold resistance," says Kruyt. "We can expand that to 3, 4 or even more resistances."

Thanks to the multiple protection, the varieties remain free from the dreaded disease for longer. The speed is of great importance, because breeders can react much more decisively to new Phytophthora strains.

From 15 to 5 years
"Incorporating multiple resistances has always been very difficult. One resistance is still possible, but this process takes 1 years," explains Professor Richard Visser of WUR. "Because breeding takes so much time, Phytophthora always stays one step ahead of the breeders." Visser expects Solynta to need another 15 to 4 years before the multi-resistant potato can be grown on a commercial scale.

New breeding techniques also make it easier to select for other characteristics, such as taste or suitability for processing. This is very difficult with classical breeding. That is why the sector sticks to varieties that are well known. The Bintje for example, or the Agria. Both susceptible breeds.

These are the costs of phytophthora:

• €10 billion in damage worldwide per year;
• €150 million damage in the Netherlands per year at 9.000 arable farmers;
• €750 million in total turnover in the Dutch potato sector;
• Half of all GBMs are used for phytophthora.

Secret of the blacksmith
According to Kruyt, the secret of the Wageningen breeder is that it has developed a stable parental line. This makes it possible to permanently cross in certain characteristics. "The genetic make-up of a potato is very complex. That is why it was previously almost impossible to find a plant with the right characteristics when crossing it." For a long time this way of breeding was laughed at.

Financially interesting
The multi-resistant potato is one from seed potatoes. In the future, this may be done from seed. Solynta has been working on this renewal for some time. According to Kruyt, 25 grams of seed can yield the same harvest as 2.500 kilos of seed in a few years' time. If this becomes a reality, it will change the industry forever.

HZPC and KWS are also working on new technologies that should make it easier to breed potatoes. "The use of crop protection products can be reduced," says Visser. "The consumer wants this and it is financially very attractive for the farmer."

Niels van der Boom

Niels van der Boom is a senior market specialist for arable crops at DCA Market Intelligence. He mainly makes analyses and market updates about the potato market. In columns he shares his sharp view on the arable sector and technology.

n.vanderboom@boerenbusiness. Nl

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