In recent years, late blight has emerged as a major threat to potato crops worldwide. This disease is caused by a fungus-like pathogen and has been linked to the devastating Irish potato famine in 1845. Now, scientists are working tirelessly to develop new potato varieties that can withstand this disease by looking for resistance among wild relatives of the potato plant.
The International Potato Center (CIP) in Peru has been at the forefront of these efforts. After finding resistance to late blight in wild potato relatives, CIP scientists crossed them with cultivated plants to create new potato varieties. These varieties were then tested and voted on by local farmers before being released under the name CIP-Matilde in 2021. What sets CIP-Matilde apart is its ability to resist late blight without requiring fungicides.
Improving resistance to diseases like late blight is easier compared to creating resistance to stressors like drought or salinity, according to Benjamin Kilian, a senior scientist at Crop Trust. However, developing crop varieties that can withstand disasters like diseases and drought remains a top priority for many organizations around the world.
One such organization is the Biodiversity for Opportunities, Livelihoods and Development (Bold) project at the Crop Trust. The project seeks to bring together partners to develop various crop varieties for their resilience to environmental challenges, including peas, azolla, and tepary beans. A key focus of the project is involving farmers in the development process by listening to their preferences and testing different crop varieties. The project emphasizes stable and reliable crop performance over maximizing yield at all costs.
Another cutting-edge approach is gene editing tools like Crispr-Cas9 at the Institute for Genomic Innovation (IGI) at the University of California. IGI’s research focuses on enhancing crop resilience by minimizing water loss and adapting to unpredictable water cycles through gene editing technologies. One company, Inari, is expanding on these technologies by targeting multiple genes simultaneously to enhance crop performance aimed at increasing productivity in response to climate change challenges.
Despite these advancements in crop breeding technologies, affordability remains a concern for many farmers worldwide who may not have access or ownership rights over seeds they need for their crops’ survival.
In conclusion, developing new potato varieties that can withstand diseases like late blight remains crucial for food security as climate change continues to impact crop production globally. Organizations must work together towards developing sustainable solutions that prioritize stable and reliable crop performance while ensuring equitable accessibility of seeds for farmers worldwide.
