European Seed has published its list of “The 20 Most Innovative Plant Varieties of 2020” recently. Marcel Bruins, Editorial Director of European Seed writes: “Let’s face it, not many people can make reliable predictions about the future. But do you know who has to make such predictions due to their jobs? Plant breeders! They need to predict what consumers want, 15 years ahead of time. …And the next time you enjoy a healthy meal, not only thank the farmers, but also thank the plant breeders”.
By publishing a list of most innovative varieties, European Seed says it wants to shine some light on all new plant varieties and give its readers a taste of the innovations that are out there.
With around 3500 new plant varieties each year, two varieties from European potato breeding and seed companies made the list: ‘Alouette‘ from Agrico, and HZPC‘s ‘Cayman‘ variety. In alphabetical order:
Alouette – Agrico
‘Alouette’ is described as one of the gems in the company’s recent release of ‘Next Generation’ potatoes. The variety has a bright and strong red skin, and its long oval tubers have yellow flesh. It offers consumers a delicious texture and flavour when used in a range of potato dishes. For growers, Alouette is a strong and high-yielding variety under various agro-ecological conditions.
The ‘Next Generation’ is a range of varieties that is unique because of their natural resistance to late blight, which is the most destructive of all potato diseases. Combined with their exceptional culinary qualities, these varieties hold great promise for both conventional and organic farming. Since Next Generation potatoes entail a significantly lower risk of crop failure, these varieties add to the options available for sustainable and healthy food production.
Cayman – HZPC
The name of potato variety ‘Cayman’ refers to a “strong car”, and strong is exactly what this variety is. It is said to combine a strong resistance package with a good drought and heat tolerance, so it can be grown everywhere and even can be used for organic production. Besides a good yield and a high dry matter content, the variety also comes with an excellent Late blight resistance, both in foliage and in the tubers.
It has a very fast emergence and strong, well covering foliage, and growers can produce two or even three crops a year. The variety has a high adaptation, including a very good performance in the tropics. It is suitable for boiling, baking, home fries, crisps and, organic. A truly robust variety.
Source: European Seed. Read the full article here
