A groundbreaking genomic study led by Germany’s Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) has revealed that despite the narrow genetic diversity among European potato varieties, individual chromosomes exhibit extraordinary divergence—offering new opportunities for breeders to harness hidden potential in one of the world’s most vital crops.
Published in Nature, the research decodes the full genome of ten historic European potato cultivars, some dating back to the 18th century. These cultivars were found to collectively cover approximately 85% of the genetic variability present in today’s European potato varieties, exposing the limited diversity that breeders have long contended with.
“The genetic pool of the potato is extremely limited,” said Professor Korbinian Schneeberger, who led the study. “But when chromosome differences do exist, they are unusually large—about twenty times greater than what we see between humans.”
This paradox—a small gene pool with deeply divergent genome segments—reflects the potato’s complex domestication history. The crop was introduced to Europe from South America in the 16th century but passed through significant genetic bottlenecks, including climatic adaptation challenges and devastating diseases such as late blight. These pressures dramatically narrowed the crop’s diversity, yet earlier cross-breeding with wild species in the Andes left genetic fingerprints that persist to this day.
A Breakthrough for Breeders
One of the most important outcomes of the study is the development of a new method for quickly reconstructing potato genomes. Rather than sequencing entire genomes from scratch, researchers can now compare easily generated data from modern cultivars against a library of fully mapped historical genomes to identify genetic matches. This method was successfully tested on Russet Burbank, the century-old variety still widely used in French fry production.
For the potato industry, this innovation could accelerate the pace of breeding programs aimed at yield improvement, disease resistance, and climate resilience, especially as genomic tools become increasingly integrated into commercial agriculture.
“Knowledge of genome sequences forms the basis for many approaches in plant breeding, from traditional methods to genome engineering,” Schneeberger emphasized. “In the future, we won’t have to work without this information anymore.”
Implications for the European Potato Sector
The study comes at a pivotal moment for the European potato industry, which faces mounting challenges due to environmental pressures, disease threats, and changing market demands. Unlocking deeper insight into genetic variation—even within a narrow gene pool—equips breeders with a more precise toolkit for cultivar development, especially for high-value processing varieties and seed potatoes.
The new framework is expected to be applicable across the roughly 2,000 potato cultivars registered in the EU, providing a scalable genomic reference for breeders and agribusinesses seeking to improve existing varieties or develop new ones for a changing global market.
By coupling historical insight with cutting-edge genetic mapping, the LMU-led team has not only traced the genetic legacy of Europe’s potato crop but laid a scientific foundation for the next generation of breeding innovation.
