[ECO]New Climate Resilient Potatoes

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PEI Canada is a leader in developing new climate resilient potato varieties.

Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) in Canada is renowned for its potato farming, a cornerstone of the province’s economy and culture. With its red soil and mild climate, P.E.I. has been an ideal location for growing potatoes for generations. The island produces approximately one-quarter of

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making it a vital agricultural hub. However, this tradition and industry are under threat. Climate change is causing more frequent and severe droughts, putting potato crops at risk. The increasing unpredictability of rainfall patterns has made it ******* for farmers to maintain their yields, potentially jeopardizing their livelihoods.

While there are over 5,000 varieties of potatoes worldwide, potato breeding programs have typically concentrated on a few traditional varieties, such as the Russet Burbank, which is widely used for making French fries. These commercial varieties are of tetraploid origin, meaning they possess four copies of each chromosome in their DNA – two copies inherited from each parent plant.

The focus on tetraploid potatoes like the Russet Burbank is primarily due to their favorable traits, including high yield, uniform size, and desirable culinary characteristics. These traits make them suitable for large-scale agricultural production and commercial food processing, which has led to their dominance in the global potato market, particularly in North America and Europe.

Tetraploid potatoes are advantageous because their genetic complexity allows for greater variation and potential for hybrid vigor, which can result in improved resistance to certain ********* and pests. However, this same complexity can also make breeding for specific traits more challenging and time-consuming. Additionally, reliance on a limited number of commercial varieties has reduced genetic diversity within cultivated potatoes, making them more vulnerable to *********, pests, and environmental stresses.

Bourlaye Fofana, a research scientist from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, is looking at new varieties of climate resilient potatoes that will be resistant to these changes. He currently has a collection of over 800 different genetic lines of potatoes. For the past decade, he has been conserving a germplasm collection on an experimental field in Harrington, P.E.I., and has recently identified genes in diploid potatoes that confer drought resistance.

Increasing the genetic diversity among potato varieties aims to conserve biodiversity and enhance tolerance to ********* and environmental stresses such as drought. The concept of drought-resistant potatoes involves enhancing the crop’s ability to withstand periods of low water availability. This can be achieved by introducing new traits from wild potato varieties, which have

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evolved mechanisms to survive in arid conditions. This process involves cross-breeding and genetic modification, leveraging the genetic diversity found in the potato’s wild relatives.

Bouraye currently has 384 diploid potato clones that have been evaluated for drought tolerance and plant maturity which are climate resilient potato characteristics. Of this group, 127 are late-maturing and tolerant of drought conditions, and nine are early to moderate-late maturing and tolerant of drought.

Bouraye also looks at South ********* potato varieties and where potatoes originated. Many South ********* potato varieties have adapted to grow in challenging conditions, such as high altitudes, poor soils, and variable climates. These adaptations make them inherently more robust against climatic changes. Moreover, The region is home to wild potato species that possess traits not found in cultivated varieties. These wild species are often more resistant to pests, *********, and environmental stresses. Scientists can crossbreed these wild potatoes with cultivated climate resilient potato varieties to introduce beneficial traits.

Potatoes are a staple food in many parts of the world, providing essential nutrients and calories to millions of people. As

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impacts agriculture worldwide, the need for climate resilient potato crops becomes increasingly urgent. Growing climate resilient potatoes in PEI could have far-reaching implications, offering a model for other regions facing similar challenges. By developing potatoes that can withstand drought, the research has the potential to contribute significantly to global efforts to ensure

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security in the face of climate change.

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