TRADE AND MARKETING Is climate change a topic for potato breeders? a table potato which is mostly one and a half weeks earlier than the exclusive Exquisa. This means it has a better taste as well. That’s why we have high expectations of that variety’, the breeder laughs with satisfaction. ‘Stable under all weather conditions’ ‘Well now, what influence does the climate have? Peter Oldenkamp, breeder at Van Rijn KWS, has to think about that question. ‘Well, the answer isn’t really all that difficult’, he says after a brief moment of silence. ‘We’ve been breeding potato varieties for the various different climates for many years now. And I certainly believe that it is getting warmer. So an important factor we have to take into consideration is the stability of a variety; it must provide both acceptable yields and quality in all types of weather extremes.’ It is not always easy to find such a variety, explains the breeder. The speed at which we find such varieties depends on luck and the type of crop. The selection of crisp varieties in the breeding programme, for example, is much faster than that of chip varieties. This is why Oldenkamp is already able to present a new and particularly strong crisp variety that, without any doubt, can endure weather extremes. It is the VR 808, a number that has meanwhile been promoted to a name. ‘The results of this variety were well ahead of any other variety in each of the trial fields. In the end, everyone knew the 808 and asked for it, which is why we decided to stick to that name.’ Everything was right in this new variety, Oldenkamp explained. Its underwater weight and sugar content never changed whatever the weather conditions. Furthermore, the variety is highly impact/and bruise-proof and stores very well. You can see that on the outside. The skin is slightly rough, usually a sign that the variety has good storage qualities. 18 Potato World 2010 • number 3 Pagina 17
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