TRADE AND MARKET I NG Agrico invests in variety development ‘Because of the many extra possibilities that modern breeding, with the help of genetic markers, offers us, we’re making an increasing number of crossings’, says Sjefke Allefs. markers is an ongoing business. We already have a lot of our own markers. The possibilities for developing them are endless. However, we must always define the strategy and ask ourselves which genes we want markers for. You don’t need to have one for a red skin colour as you can already see that. For us, spearheads in the breeding process are Phytophthora and potato cyst nematode, including G. rostochiensis, G. pallida and Meloidogyne. Our own members also ask for AM-resistant varieties. With varieties such as Arsenal, Libero, Lugano, Performer and Alicante, we already have a nice range of pallida-resistant varieties available’, says the breeding specialist. Agrico already offers an increasing package of varieties with Phytophthora resistance. ‘Before you have a good combination of anti-Phytophthora genes in a variety, you’ve already been working on it for a long time. Unless you work fairly quickly, development takes decades while you already know which direction you want to go. We’ve already registered varieties with one and two Phytophthora genes. But I’d like to see six or seven different genes in a variety, so that the Phytophthora resistance is no longer broken down in the field in practice. I’m very positive about this. The stacking of genes in a variety is the solution for the worldwide Phytophthora problem. If you look at wild potato species that grow under high Phytophthora pressure, the plants solve this by natural selection with R genes. That’s something we also need to copy. Nature shows us the way in this’, teaches Allefs. ‘Through crossings we bring the genes together and do a lots of tests with markers. This requires a lot of plant material. We also need space to maintain this population and to test the Allefs. ‘You should also bear in mind that we don’t yet know which diseases we’ll be working with in 15 years’ time. This means that we must have the facilities to be able to tackle what is coming our way. Over the years, we’ve had to deal with diseases such as powdery scab and black dot, but pests such as Epitrix and components of the disease called Zebra chip have now also invaded Europe. This requires more intensive research and the need to combine genes more effectively. That’s why the need for broad-testing opportunities is increasing. Other characteristics for which we want to develop markers are susceptibility to internal spots and growth cracks. You need to know how genetics works, but that’s difficult to discover because the climate also has an impact on the prevention of the disease. The basis for this is to conduct field trials on location and then just hope that we achieve the desired effect. I’m increasingly asking myself whether we should specifically aim for genomics or whether we should buy another farm to test an extra 100,000 clones in the field. Investing in genomics, like the purchase of land, is also very costly and you’re breeding, as it were, via the rear-view mirror, those are the markers. When expanding plant breeding outdoors, it’s more like “what you see is what you get”. ‘The stacking of genes in a variety is the solution for the worldwide Phytophthora problem.’ crossing material. That’s why we now have a whole new greenhouse only to propagate and test research material and to use it in DNA research.’ Surprised by nature During a tour of the greenhouse, Allefs talks enthusiastically about the new breeding station. ‘In one of the greenhouses we can simulate the short-day rhythm. Our ambition is to find out how varieties react to short-day countries such as Kenya. With the new facility, we can more easily predict which varieties we can send to such countries’, explains You’re then often more surprised by nature’, Allefs explains his dilemma. No shorter breeding cycle When asked whether Allefs expects to achieve faster results with the new greenhouse, he is clear. ‘The breeding cycle won’t be shorter. This is because, on the one hand, we have to grow seed potatoes of the new varieties. On the other hand, the success of a variety is only achieved if it produces an average yield over the years and across all locations and not if it only performs well in a few locations. You can only test that in 16 Potato World 2018 • number 3 Pagina 15
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