RE SEARCH Research in the potato world A s in the human world, things concerning identity can go very wrong in the world of plants. A variety name that doesn’t tally with the contents of the package, a switch in breeding material, it can happen, accidentally or on purpose. In both cases, it may cause a lot of suffering, both financially and emotionally. In solving human identity questions, investigators have been using DNA technology for some years now. That is common knowledge, partly as a result of popular TV programmes. Think of the Dutch TV programme “DNA Unknown”, in which people try to get an answer to the question, Is my father really my father? Another example is the popular American TV series “Crime Scene Investigation” (CSI), in which a forensic team searches for the true identity of criminals with the aid of DNA technology. They cut off slices of approx. 0.5 cm from the tubers. If there are many tubers to test, this is done by machine. From these slices they then punch out a few samples that fit into test tubes. These tubes are then placed into a freeze-drier. The freeze-drying process removes all the moisture from the tissue. DNA technology much faster What can happen in the human world has also been possible for some years now in the world of plants. And this also applies to the world of potatoes. ‘Until fairly recently, breeders and researchers determined the identity of a potato variety exclusively by looking at its external characteristics, the sprouts for example. Determinations such as these have always been time-consuming. With the use of DNA technology, identification is much faster and there are many more possibilities. This means you no longer depend on external characteristics or on growing conditions and environmental factors. With the help of any type of tissue, identification can be carried out at any given time. This last argument has been of particular importance for the potato sector’, according to Teunissen. ‘You can’t send in samples for a sprouting-under-light test at just any time. This test is only carried out during the months of February, March and April. However, you can send in samples for DNA testing at any time. The results are already available after about a month. Actually, the real identity process doesn’t take much longer than about a week. To keep the costs down, Naktuinbouw first 22 Potato World 2012 • number 3 Pagina 21
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