b"pathology department at Colorado State University, explains in a presentation at the meeting.Despite diploids having only recently become mainstreamBut of course, as the costindustry news, the potato breeding world has known about them for decades. However, recent research is helping makegoes down, also, some of the them a more viable breeding option. benefits of diploid potato may Part of the story is we do know more about self-compatibility, we have some tricks that allow for self- decrease in particular concerns compatibility to be manipulated in ways that we didn't haveabout picking up disease increase before, Paul Bethke, a plant physiologist with the USDA, says during the meeting.with time in the field. There are also advanced tools for molecular genomics andPAUL BETHKEgenetics, such as CRISPR, which are allowing for new things to be done with potato breeding that couldnt be done before.Making the SwitchDiploid potatoes wont be hitting the commercial market anytime soon though as theres still lots to sort out. The cost of seed is unknown. Of course, the profitability of everything is based starting with the cost of seed, Bethke explains. How much it costs to produce those seedsit's going to depend on in part where they're produced. Are they going to be produced overseas, or they're going to produce locally?There are also questions about how the seed would be propagated. Multiple scenarios could be done, Bethke says. Seed could be grown in greenhouses and then plants distributed as is done with tomatoes. Those plants could also then be grown in fields to produce seed tubers as is done currently, which could help bring down seed costs.But of course, as the cost goes down, also, some of the benefits of diploid potato may decrease in particular concerns about picking up disease increase with time in the field, Bethke explains.An industry that has gone through a similar change is that of the potatos vegetable cousinthe tomato. David Francis is a professor in the department of horticulture and crop science at Ohio State University whose research focuses on tomatoes.If the industry switches, you'll find more true seed-borne diseases, which is going to lead to issues of testing, and a seed market that's subject to perturbation, Francis explains.Shipping true potato seed around the world could cause regulation issues. Francis says testing requirements could prevent seed shipments as there may not be access available to those tests.There could also be a shift in who does potato breeding. Currently most potato breeding is done by public institutions. True seed potato breeding is going to drive potato breeding from the public sector towards the private sector. It took several decades for this to happen in the tomato world, you could even argue a half a century, so there's not going to be an imminentTrue potato seeds lying next to a Canadian dime to show their size change, but there will be a slow and steady change, Francis says.profile.PHOTO: HELEN TAISPUDSMART.COM Fall 202131"