Opportunities and challenges for private industry

Abstract

With the orderly entry of private firms into the business of volume greenhouse tuber production derived from meristem/tissue culture programs, the industry as a whole should see a continuing reduction in the number of field seed generations required to supply the commercial grower with certified seed. The further reduction in field generations will be aided by product push and market pull with quality potato seed being supplied at the beginning of the field generation system and the commercial growers demanding access to earlier generation material as commercial seed. This process is already in motion and should begin to accelerate once adequate knowledge of product performance is available to the seed potato industry members. Potato variety quality should continue to improve rapidly with the availability of new laboratory based technologies that accelerate the identification of new genetic material for evaluation and introduction. A more comprehensive integration of field and laboratory plant breeders has begun and should continue at a rapid pace. Each has an important role to play in the development of new improved germplasm for the industry. Automated tissue culture production systems are very close at hand and should have a direct impact on cost of production. These robotic breakthroughs will also contribute to more cost efficient production systems for greenhouse tubers.