AardappelWereldVisie Lack of brain cells? The breeder asks: ‘Why don’t they promote my lovely variety a bit more? Sales: ‘Because there are already so many good varieties on the market that have proved themselves, while with these we still have to wait and see.’ The breeder sighs and continues undauntedly finding even better varieties, because that’s what he’s always done. The potato breeder ‘s highly-trained colleagues – also those from other crop groups – tell him about the many prospective new techniques or those that are already in use. ‘No, not exactly GMO, but just a little bit, with stacked genes and lots of markers. Potato breeding, too, is now quickly professionalising’, they teach him. High-tech agricultural centres and strategic alliances will have to facilitate this leap forward and help develop the next generation of super varieties. Breeding costs more than it brings in, but the headlong rush forward seems to be the only solution to holding on to the market share. The traditional breeder sighs under the force of all these new innovations in which he no longer seems to have a place. En masse, breeders are striving to provide the everincreasing chips market with even better varieties. This is only marginally successful, because the bar is set high. In recent years, there was always something wrong with the climate and this had its consequences. Problems with abnormal formation of tubers, heat, drought, water logging, wind, damage and rot resistance can’t really be solved with markers or gene technology. And these are precisely the characteristics they are looking for in a new variety and which determine the success of the current top varieties in the industrial segment. The growing season is long and has many variables and this is what the research unit can use to be able to stick a ‘fixed-it’ label on a variety, in addition to the other forty excellent characteristics. Conclusion: that darned potato is not easy to grasp with modern technology, it seems to have its own agenda. The eye of the breeder and practical experience will determine the new commercial variety, also in the future, because the scientific database still lacks some brain cells. Peter van Eerdt Director Danespo Holland B.V. AW-ACTUA World Potato City Emmeloord wants to create a Potato Experience World Potato City Emmeloord, part of the Agro food cluster, is taking the initiative to start a Potato Experience. Since the start of the Agro food cluster in September last year, they have wanted to create an interactive experience centre. This means that everyone with an interest in the potato is welcome here: a place where Emmeloord is established as the World Potato City. Agro food cluster wants to set up a Potato Experience in the Polder tower of Emmeloord. Within the walls of Potato Experience, the Agro food cluster can organise activities such as workshops, inspiration sessions, talks, transfer of knowledge and cooking clinics. Director Cor van Veldhuizen is also thinking of a combination with themes such as agro technology, health and a bio-based economy. The public that the Potato Experience wants to target varies from primary school pupils and tourists to entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector. In addition, Van Veldhuizen wants the centre to be a takeoff point for groups interested in the Dutch potato chain boyh from the Netherlands and abroad. ‘The aim is that the Potato Experience will become the hotspot for all matters relating to the potato in the Netherlands’, is the dream of Van Veldhuizen. Operational in 2017 In 2017, Potato Europe will again be held in Emmeloord, by which time the Potato Experience should be fully operational. Moreover, the coming years will also see the build up towards the Floriade, the World Horticultural Expo. During that buildup period and during the Floriade itself, the experience centre wants to give crops such as potatoes, onions and carrots a platform. At the request of the business sector, the desire to start an experience centre has been added to the new social-economic policy plan of the Northeast Polder municipality. The Agro Food Cluster is currently working out a concrete plan. Among other things, the cluster wants to propose using the Polder tower in Emmeloord for this plan. ● Potato World 2015 • number 4 9 Pagina 8
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