Hybrid potato breeding and production systems

Abstract

In this chapter, we describe the technical aspects of hybrid potato breeding, the implications for cultural practices, cropping systems, product development and global food security. Diploid hybrid breeding allows the breeders to focus on selecting the right combination of parents instead of selecting the right clone. Combining the most suitable parents results in homogeneous hybrids that can be tested in different environments. It allows to stack resistance genes, stack complex traits, create uniform offspring, makes breeding results more predictable, the production of a new cultivar much faster and the possibilities for innovative products and value creation much more abundant. However, diploid breeding followed by a seed system based on true potato seed may cause disruptive change, for breeders, regulators and policy makers, seed growers, ware growers, traders, and consumers. The biggest bottlenecks are in the agronomy of growing a crop from very tiny true potato seeds (TPS). Options include direct sowing, producing transplants or producing seedling tubers. A paradigm shift in the production system must create the conditions for a successful hybrid TPS value chain. Many companies and research institutes are now developing hybrid breeding programmes in potato, mostly based on diploid breeding. The potential is huge, including potato production in tropical lowlands on the basis of heat and drought tolerant hybrids, resistance against bacterial diseases and viruses, and high-quality, healthy and innovative potato products, thus contributing to a sustainable, food-secure, productive potato production value chain.