RE SEARCH Research in the potato world collects enough samples and then has them analysed in one research round. This reduces the costs to 250 euros per sample. It can be even quicker, too, if necessary. The results are then already known after seven days, but the price of the sample is also much higher’, the researcher explains. Especially useful in breeding Naktuinbouw has been responsible for the registration and breeders’ rights investigation of new potato varieties for many years. When determining the differentiation of new varieties, Naktuinbouw uses DNA profiles to help them. Apart from its use in breeders’ rights investigations, the DNA profile can also be used for businesses that have doubts about varietal trueness or suspect infringement of breeders’ rights or that are confronted with varietal hybridisation. There have not been very many requests from the potato sector yet, but that will change quickly, according to Teunissen. She has seen the same thing happening in the florists sector, where issues relating to varietal trueness are occurring all the time. Things can easily go wrong, especially in tissue culture, she says. ‘Slowly but surely, we are seeing this happening in the potato sector, which means that it’s just a matter of time before requests come in from there. The different varieties of small plants in the in-vitro culture, for example, can’t really be distinguished from each other. When someone accidentally swaps them, it will usually come out very much later, at which point most of the costs have already been made. You could prevent this by making DNA profiles of the plants during the multiplication process, so that the varietal trueness remains guaranteed. But, in principle, identity checking is important and possible during each step of the production process – from planting material to end-product’, Teunissen tells us. Two tubers per sample Once in the laboratory, Teunissen and Hoekstra show us how the forensic potato investigation takes place. To achieve a reliable result, Naktuinbouw always asks However, you can send in samples for DNA testing at any time. The results are already available after about a month. Potato World 2012 • number 3 23 Pagina 22
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