TRADE AND MARKET I NG Does climate change also have an influence on variety development? Jeroen Bakker (l) and Robert Graveland, HZPC: ‘Finding the solution is a combination of genetics, laboratory work and validation in the field’ ‘When talking about climate change, it’s important to give a good definition. For us, it’s a fact that the weather patterns are increasingly difficult to predict and are also more extreme. We wonder to what extent these influences are connected with our commercial activities, as we don’t produce potatoes all over the world. We’ve identified four topics for our production areas which we’ll focus on when we talk about climate change. They are heat, drought, flooding and salt tolerance’, Jeroen Bakker, breeder of the Retail Fresh sector of HZPC in Joure explains. ‘To study these topics, we’ve developed specific tests. We’ve been working on the topic of drought for four years now and we’ve already achieved very good results. In our experimental fields in the French Champagne region, we’ve already collected hundreds of results from where we’ve irrigated or not irrigated particular varieties. When you repeat this for many years, you ultimately get to understand the effect. As a breeder, you first want to know which varieties do better in drought. You then want to unravel the genetics so that you understand why a certain effect occurs. It would be quite marvellous if we found one gene that provides drought tolerance so that you can develop a molecular marker for it. However, the situation is often more complex. We’ve been working on the troublesome property of heat for quite some time now. This property can’t always be detached from drought. However, we haven’t discovered any genes that are responsible for heat tolerance. It’s important, though, that you give an exact definition of this property. It’s quite a wide concept you see. Do we want plants that don’t fall over in the growing season, for example, or can they fall and then recover later? Do we want plants that don’t die in the hot period or do we only look at the total yield? This is only one of the over forty characteristics that we want to bring together into a new variety. But to bring all these characteristics together is still too difficult at the moment’, Bakker explains. ‘The potato is a tetraploid crop, which makes it difficult to breed many characteristics’, Robert Graveland, Director of HZPC Research adds. ‘That’s why we’re urging for a quick decision on clarity as to which new breeding methods won’t fall under Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). We’ll then know which parts we can use to fill the breeder’s toolbox and get even better results as fast as possible. The outcome will be that the specialism will get even more specialised. That’s why we’ve invested a great deal in molecular science in the past eight years. It’s up to the breeders to continue to understand what science is trying to find out so they can implement the results into the breeding programme. To find the right solution is a matter of combining genetics, laboratory research and validation in the field. Because not everything can be predicted. The most unique combination can only be found in the field. You often learn from hindsight and you can then use what you’ve learned. Because, as soon as you’ve got variation, combined with markers or test conditions, you can start giving direction. With the research results, the breeders are better equipped to objectively gather a high variety potential earlier in the breeding programme. And then to recognise the best variety candidates in their experimental fields in the various climate zones’, Graveland explains. Jacques Vergroesen (r), Stet Holland: ‘We adapt our programme more or less Jacques Vergroesen, Product Manager at Stet Holland in Emmeloord, still has to get used to things. Because, at this year’s varieties presentation, the trading company is showing a series of new varieties from KWS, whose potato activities they’ve recently bought. This needs the appropriate information and Jacques apologises in advance for questions for which he isn’t yet quite ready. To his great relief, the experienced breeder is asked a reasonably general question which he’s able to answer without any problem. ‘Of course we've noticed that the climate is subject to change. You see that the highs and lows in the weather are increasing. The periods of drought are getting longer, and the amount of rainfall during showers is increasing. First of all, this requires farmers to adapt their cultivation methods. And the choice of varieties are important in this. Look at our Salinero variety, for example, which is a potato with an extremely strong root system. That’s a very suitable variety because it easily gets through the periods of drought. This became very clear last year: while all other potato plants turned brown, the Salinero remained green. We have this variety, and many others, in our range, so growers can already benefit from them right now. It’s not that we’re currently selecting based on the climate change factor. We’ve got quite a 28 Potato World 2017 • number 2 Pagina 27

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