b"(L-R) Dan Ronis, Philippe Parent, Darin Gibson, Andre Gagnon, Peter VanderZaag, Duane Falk, Joyce Coffin, and Robert Coffin, members of the Canadian Private Potato Breeders Network at a tour of Sunrise Potatoes in Ontario.PHOTO: CPPBNIn the late 2010s, AAFC launched a modernized breeding program to bridge the gap between the breeding work and what the potato industry wanted. For De Koeyer, the wealth of knowledge the AAFC program can provide for potato breeding through the network of AAFC scientists is paramount.Breeding involves strong components of science. There needs to be a connection to research institutes that are developing new science that can be applied to potato breeding, he says. We have a diverse range of scientists that can support potato breeding that wouldn't necessarily be present in the private sector.Parker says potatoes are the number one crop in Canada protected under PBR with eight per cent of applications coming in being for potato varieties. This accounts for 826 applications since PBR came into effect, with 85 per cent being international. The number one country sending in applications is the Netherlands from private breeders, followed by the U.S. with a mix of private and public breeders.Historically, the largest number (of Canadian applications) has been from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. So, it's the public sector protecting (their IP), but it does take time for the private sector to develop. And we have seen growth since the 2000s with a lot of small companies seeking PBR protection, he says. Parker points to Saskatchewans Tuberosum Technologies which has filed 13 new applications since 2015 as being a bright spot in the Canadian private potato breeding landscape.Breeding for the LocalsWhile the introduction of PBR opened the doors for large private 10SPUDSMART.COM Summer 2022"