Solynta presents breakthrough potato breeding technology
Solynta presents breakthrough potato breeding technology
![Solynta presents breakthrough potato breeding technology Solynta presents breakthrough potato breeding technology](https://media.potatopro.com/eapr_2011.png?width=1200&height=743&crop=smart&mode=crop)
At the conference of the European Association of Potato Research (EAPR) starting today, the Dutch company Solynta will present their breakthrough in potato breeding.
Pim Lindhout (Solynta) will give a lecture entitled "A new Paradigm in Potato breeding"detailing the achievements of Solynta and highlight the unprecedented consequences for potato breeding, propagation, farming, processing and consumption.
Potato breeding is a slow process. Although many new varieties have been developed, today's potato industry is still dominated by two potato varieties that were developed early last century: Bintje (1904) in Europe and Russet Burbank (1914) in North America.
Genetic improvement in potato is hampered by the fact that potato is a tetraploid (4 sets of chromosomes). Alternatively, severe inbreeding depression and self-incompatibility in diploid germplasm has hitherto blocked the development of inbred lines.
Recently a gen was discovered (Sli) that prevented inbreeding depression in diploid potato lines. However, no good agronomic properties were obtained.
By testing dozens of F2 populations and crosses of selected self-compatible F2 plant with the germplasm core collection, highly inbred lines were developed that combined self-compatibility with a good agronomic performance.
This enables the development of F1 hybrid potato lines, which by most was considered unrealistic so far.
This (non-GMO!) technology offers the perspective of a much faster breeding process and the ability to incorporate newly found traits in a much shorter time.
It also opens up new possibilities for propagation of potatoes using seed instead of tubers.