Plant Breeding & Variety Development Archives

Researchers use TALENs for Targeted Genome Editing of Potato

Compiled by Staff on July 8, 2020

Scientists at Osaka University in Japan and partners have used successfully target genome editing in potato using transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), according to results published in the Plant Biotechnology journal. The report notes that genome editing using site-specific nucleases such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat–CRISPR-associated protein 9 and TALENs are highly useful in crop breeding. In the study, the researchers infected a potato with Agrobacterium tumefaciens harboring TALEN-expression vector targeting…

Plant Breeding & Variety Development

Philippine Farmers Find Canadian Spuds Thrive

Compiled by Staff on July 6, 2020

After a bountiful harvest with better yields and higher income from their first trial of Canadian potato varieties, farmers in northern Benguet, Philippines are expected to plant more Canadian potato varieties, a post from the Philippine News Agency on July 6, says. A July 1 report from the Department of Agriculture–Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-CAR), showed data from planting trials done by Manpat, a farmers association in Balili, Mankayan town, and the Seeds…

Plant Breeding & Variety Development

HZPC Robot Helps Breed Disease Resistant Potatoes

Compiled by Staff on May 20, 2020

Dutch potato breeder HZPC has developed a robot which helps them identify potato DNA and isolate diseases in plants, the company says in a release on May 20. Within 15 minutes the robot can isolate the DNA of 1,536 potato plants with positive traits being crossbred into a potato variety which is resistant to a variety of diseases. The DNA from the potato plants is then examined to see whether a more…

Plant Breeding & Variety Development

A Change for the Better

By Mark Halsall on February 4, 2020

IT’S BEEN A LITTLE over a year since Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) began revamping its potato breeding program. In addition to making the program more efficient and up to date, the move reflects a strong desire by the AAFC to make the program more responsive to the needs of the Canadian potato industry. The changes are still ongoing, but many in the potato industry appear to like what they’ve seen so…

Solynta Granted US Patent for Hybrid True Potato Seed Development

Compiled by Staff on January 14, 2020

Solynta, the inventor and global leader in the breeding of hybrid potato cultivars produced from true potato seed, announced the grant of U.S. Patent Serial No. 10,524,436 entitled “Hybrid Potato Breeding.” The patent claims Solynta’s methods of producing potato inbreds and hybrids that are propagated from true seed. Dr. Pim Lindhout, Solynta’s Chief Scientific Officer, states “Solynta’s innovative Hybrid True Potato Seed breeding will finally unlock the humble potato’s vast potential. Not only producing more and better food but…

GM Potato Trials Point to Blight-Resistant Crops of the Future

Compiled by Staff on December 3, 2019

A genetically modified potato with improved tuber quality and resistance to the devastating disease late blight has progressed successfully through the latest stage of trials. The field trials follow successful lab experiments to modify Maris Piper potatoes with late blight resistance genes from wild relatives of potato called Solanum americanum and Solanum venturii. To improve tuber quality, the modified Maris Piper lines also have genes switched off – or “silenced” – to…

First Argentine GM Potato to be Released in 2020

Compiled by Staff on October 24, 2019

The National Council of Technical and Scientific Research (CONICET) commenced with the registration of the first biotech potato variety in Argentina to the National Seed Institute. CONICET, in partnership with Sidus, developed the biotech potato with resistance to virus Y called SPT TICAR. This new biotech potato variety is expected to provide potato farmers with 10% cost savings, reduction in the use of insecticides, and general improvement of competitiveness across the value…

From our Desk

Unlocking the Potato’s True Potential

By Kari Belanger on October 23, 2019

LAST AUGUST, at the Potato Association of America (PAA) annual meeting, I had an opportunity to talk with Michiel de Vries, Solynta’s research team lead, about the work he and his colleagues are carrying out. Solynta, a potato seed breeding company based in Wageningen, the Netherlands, has invented a fast and efficient hybrid breeding technology. One that could change global food consumption and unlock the true potential of the potato, de Vries…

Complex Potato Genome Further Unveiled

Compiled by Staff on September 20, 2019

The potato is one of the most important food crops worldwide. Improvements to its traits can therefore have a major impact. Reading the genome structure of the potato is extremely tricky, however, as a regular potato consists of four genomes, which makes it difficult to determine the position of the genes. The recent research applied a diploid real potato plant with only one genome, a so-called homozygote, which makes it easier to read and compare the DNA base sequence. This plant, Solyntus, was produced as part of Solynta’s hybrid potato breeding programme. The genome…

New potato variety named after Alliston, spud capital of Ontario

Compiled by Staff on August 12, 2019

By Brad Pritchard, Alliston Herald You’ve eaten countless potatoes grown in the sandy loam soils of Alliston, but until now you’ve never chowed down on an Alliston potato. Well, you better get those potato mashers ready, because there’s a new tater in town that could change that. In mid-July, a new variety of potato named Alliston was officially registered with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, making it the first tater in history…

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