To deliver hybrid true potatoes to the South African farming community, European hybrid potato seed innovator Solynta and South African seed potato manufacturer RegenZ recently established cooperation.

The businesses will work together in additional trials and come together to make it easier for South African farmers to get access to Solynta’s “climate-smart” and disease-free genetics. The Solynta hybrid true potato seeds (HTPS) offer the greatest starting material for good yields and healthy potatoes given the restricted water resources, reduced farming ground size, and additional restrictions on chemical inputs.

“We believe that introduction of Solynta’s innovative hybrid potato technology in South Africa will bring huge benefits to the potato-producing farming communities. We see from Solynta field trials in the region that the technology can contribute towards more efficient and sustainable potato production. […] HTPS can address food security goals in line with South African government objectives. With its unique ability to build disease resistance, Solynta’s hybrids will deliver a predictable and rapid flow of improved products. By delivering these genetics through true seeds, many other advantages, such as the provision of disease-free seeds and a reduction in storage and transport costs, will be achieved. Therefore, we believe it has great value to both commercial and smallholder potato farmers to collaborate with Solynta on the formal introduction of hybrid true potato seed in South Africa,” Justin Platt, Managing Director of RegenZ said.

The commercial director of Solynta, Charles Miller, underlines the new hybrid potato types’ global reach.

“This partnership marks the shared values of our companies. Like RegenZ, Solynta is committed to developing sustainable innovations that improve the quality of life. For Solynta, that means ensuring that nutritious, easy-to-grow potatoes are abundantly available to fight food insecurity. Solynta’s new hybrid true potato varieties have been developed to offer an answer to the nutrition security challenges that the world is facing. Our non-GMO, disease-free potato seed delivers highly delicious and nutritious potatoes and requires fewer pesticides to produce great yield,” Miller added.

In the partnership with RegenZ, Charles Miller mentioned that the goal of the collaboration, for Solynta, is to benefit local farmers – in South Africa and worldwide.

“As potato production makes up 45% of the country’s total vegetable production, exceeding 51 000 ha per year, it is one of the most important vegetable crops in South Africa. With Solynta’s seeds, local farmers will benefit from using the best, clean, and disease-free starting material for their potato production. We look forward to working with RegenZ to develop and introduce potato cultivars that will thrive and prosper in South Africa. Acting as Solynta’s representative in the region, RegenZ is playing a critical role in navigating the commercial and regulatory challenges associated with establishing HTPS in South and Southern Africa. This includes collaborating with the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development [DALRRD] and other key industry stakeholders on establishing a suitable regulatory framework for the safe introduction of HTPS into the market,” he concluded.

True Potato Seed (TPS) is the name given to the seeds from potato fruits, which breeders can use to develop new varieties.