2023: Significant Breakthroughs in CIP Potato Research
According to The International Potato Center’s (CIP) recently released annual report, there have been significant breakthroughs in potato research in 2023.
Board Chair Helen Hambly Odame and Director General Simon Heck report that last year was a year of significant milestones for CIP, with key achievements in several areas critical to global food security and sustainability. The report is titled ‘Future-Focused 2030: Science for a Sustainable Tomorrow.’
Regarding crop varieties, CIP has made considerable strides toward increasing genetic diversity to support the development of more resilient options. According to the paper, its breeding operations have effectively introduced several new potato varieties that are more resilient to pests, diseases, and the effects of climate change. Smallholder farmers in susceptible locations are now using these new varieties.
The paper also emphasizes how CIP’s genomics and biotechnology research is helping agricultural improvement. As a result, potato varieties with higher yield potential, lower input needs, and better resilience to biotic and abiotic stressors have been developed.
Over the past year, another major focus has been on promoting regenerative growth techniques that improve soil health, boost biodiversity and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Agro-ecological techniques that improve soil fertility and lower the need for chemical inputs, like crop rotation and intercropping, are promoted as part of CIP’s regenerative agriculture projects. Smallholder farmers can profitably use these techniques as well.
Through focused capacity-building initiatives, CIP has given growers the skills and information they need to boost output and revenue while assisting communities in becoming more resilient to the threats posed by market instability and climate change.
The organization has also developed storage solutions that reduce food waste and stabilize food supplies.
CIP aims to expand these efforts and establish fresh collaborations in the upcoming year to tackle the worldwide predicaments of sustainable development, climate change, and food security. To guarantee that research discoveries are applied for the benefit of everybody, the report urges greater collaboration in research between governments, academic institutions, and the commercial sector.
