The Phytophthora Taskforce Announced its Plans for the 2025 Potato Growing Season
Fighting Phytophthora will be a greater priority for the arable farming industry. This is accomplished, among other things, by enforcing more stringent preventive measures and demonstrating a greater dedication to managing resistance. This is made possible in large part by resistant potato varieties, such as Agrico’s ‘Next Generation’.
Recently, the Phytophthora Taskforce presented its 2025 potato growing season plans in the greenhouses of Agrico Research. The diversity scheme is one tactic used to combat fungal diseases. These list cultivars have better Phytophthora resistance. Although they are not immune, certain types can be impacted by certain Phytophthora variants later in the season or not at all because of their resilience.
Breeds that are in the same group have the same genetic background. In the event of an infestation in one of these varieties, a specialized diagram shows which other varieties in the same group that are grown in the same farming area are at increased risk of a resistance breakthrough.
“Last winter, Agrico already announced these groups for the ‘Next Generation’ varieties, the great thing is that the entire sector is now working together and that there are varieties from several trading houses on them,” Anita van Bergeijk, an agronomist at Agrico, mentioned.
Last year, Agrico asked growers of ‘Next Generation’ varieties to report breakthroughs. Growers were informed via e-mail, WhatsApp, and the grower portal, and the sector will work together next year.
By letting farmers know where and in which variety group a breakthrough has taken place, growers know better which varieties are at risk and infections can be found earlier. Organic growers can then take action by burning the plot and the advice for conventional growers is to maintain a contiguous spraying schedule from that moment on.
“In conventional cultivation, we are going to go from relying 100% on crop protection products to relying on resistances and each other,” the expert added.
The current ‘Next Generation’ varieties have one single resistance to Phytophthora. In the coming years, Agrico expects to be able to add even more sustainable Phytophthora-resistant varieties to its ‘Next Generation’ package. Agrico is working hard to stack resistant genes, which will make a potato even more resistant to Phytophthora. Two resistance genes are present in the first variety that has been registered.
“The launch of varieties with three resistance genes is also getting closer,” Van Bergeijk concluded.
This year, Agrico will once again map out the breakthroughs of the ‘Next Generation’ varieties per variety group per region. Anyone who sees a breakthrough in their own ‘Next Generation’ breed in 2025 can report it to their field service officer.
