News on Potato Varieties and Seed from Michigan

When Alison Sklarczyk earned her animal sciences degree from Michigan State University, she didn’t intend to go into potato farming.

In a new study, published in Crop Science, researchers describe genetic tools to develop potato varieties with improved natural resistance to the Colorado potato beetle

The World Potato Congress (WPC) continues with its webinar series in its 2020 on January 24, with a webinar featuring Dr. David Douches of 'Feed the Future – Biotechnology Potato Partnership'

If you are living in Michigan or nearby, Purple potato chips could be on shelves at a grocery store near you this holiday season, thanks to a collaboration between Michigan State University researchers and Traverse City-based Great Lakes Potato Chip Co.

David Douches, a professor in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences and director of the MSU Potato Breeding and Genetics Program, has been at the forefront of the potato’s transition as people get more adventurous with their eating habits.

Examining the ancestors of the modern, North American cultivated potato has revealed a set of common genes and important genetic pathways that have helped potatoes adapt over thousands of years.

The US Agency for International Development has awarded Michigan State University (MSU) a $5.8 million cooperative agreement to improve potato production in Bangladesh and Indonesia. Additional partners include the University of Minnesota and J.R. Simplot as well as in-country partners in both Bangladesh and Indonesia.