Posted at 6:00 am.
10,000 years
The potato was domesticated in the Andes 10,000 years ago and is now the third most consumed food in the world after rice and wheat.
296 varieties
Researchers stitched together the DNA sequences of 296 potato varieties to create a “super-pangenome,” a type of family tree that reflects all of the genes in a species. It is the largest ever made for a plant.
132,355 “Pangene”
The researchers identified more than 130,000 different “pangenes” and published their results in the renowned scientific journal PNAS. This extensive gene library could serve as a starting point for breeders looking to create the potato of tomorrow.
The potato of the future
Weather report
Russet Burbank, Yukon Gold, Atlantic: The varieties we eat are vulnerable to extreme weather events caused by climate change, says Professor Martina Strömvik, who led the research. “Wild species may have useful genetic traits for tolerance to heat, drought and cold,” she points out. Even though they taste unappealing and are sometimes even poisonous, wild species can hold a key. “By bringing together all the genetic information available today, we can know where to start looking for the different traits that varieties need in a changing climate. »
diseases and insects
With global warming, farmers are anticipating an increase in the presence of insect pests that are at risk of migrating north. The Colorado potato beetle is already causing devastating damage to fields in Canada. Work is currently underway at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to identify genes in potatoes that are resistant to it. Food can also be more susceptible to disease. “If there is a potato that is resistant to a disease, one might ask: What does this potato have that the others don’t? “We can then compare different genomes,” says Strömvik.
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a necessary element for plant growth. However, over-fertilization leads to eutrophication of agricultural rivers and causes greenhouse gas emissions. Previous research by Professor Strömvik’s team identified specific genes that respond to different levels of nitrogen. “We try to find varieties that require less nitrogen, or at least determine when they actually need it,” she explains. The same logic could apply to the use of pesticides. A potato that is resistant to an insect would not need chemicals to eradicate it.