Are hybrid potato seeds the future?

Hybrid potatoes are piquing the interests of people both within and outside the potato sector. A hybrid combines the best of two systems in order to maximize performance. In the same way that a hybrid car achieves maximum horsepower by using the electric and the diesel engine, two specially developed parent lines create a strong and high-performance variety when crossed. Successful hybridization can significantly boost potato breeding. It can also replace seed potatoes with actual seeds. In other words: it’s possible to grow potatoes from seeds instead of seed material (seed potatoes). But what does hybridization mean? And will it change the sector for good? According to Robert Graveland, R&D manager at HZPC: “The market still uses hundred-year-old potato varieties. Unlike other crops, their potential cannot be structurally improved each year, although bigger strides have been made over the past fifteen years.” More