Work Package Number: 1.2
Running Title: Potato Genetics
Policy Context
Scotland area under potatoes accounts for about 20% of the UK potato growing area. 45% of
the Scottish production is seed potato production forming the start of a supply chain which
provides source material to ware growers in Scotland, England and elsewhere. UK potato
production is valued at over £450m at farm gate values whilst the retail value of potatoes in
the UK is estimated to be about £3.6bn.
Discussions in the recent strategy review highlighted several issues. There was concern over
the lack of Scottish potato varieties with suitable agronomic and consumer characteristics.
There was also a view that the lack of good potato varieties encouraged the importation of
seed and ware potatoes from overseas increasing the risk to Scotland and the UK of the
introduction of new pests and pathogens. In addition the review process also highlighted the
value that germplasm collections such as the Commonwealth Potato Collection has for the
identification of novel genes and traits of potential value to the sector. The outputs from
appropriately targeted genetics and genomics research should exploit current scientific
opportunities to address some of these issues.
Research in this work package will need to be integrated with relevant work in other
packages most notably under PO2 “Plant pathology for Sustainable Crop production” and PO
11 “Diet for Healthy Living”.
Required Outputs





Characterisation and evaluation of germplasm collections which focuses on plant
health improvement, improvement of the environment, sustainable agriculture and
market needs including the needs of relevant markets.
New resources (improved germplasm, markers, genes, knowledge) which deliver
potato products capable of capturing and maintaining market share.
Identification of tools (genes, markers, bioinformatics, knowledge) to allow breeders
to select crop varieties suitable for future climates in Scotland and elsewhere.
Increased emphasis on developing crops with enhanced nutritional quality.
Improved understanding of factors contributing towards product quality including the
identification of markers for key traits and genes of use to breeders.
Impacts of Research
The outputs from this research need to help Scottish farmers, seed companies and related
businesses along the supply chain remain competitive and should help deliver potato products
capable of capturing markets.
Linkages Anticipated


Integration of potato genomics, potato genetics, bioinformatics and with appropriate
input of social science.
Linkage with other potato and crop science groups in Scotland.
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

Linkages with international genomics programmes.
Collaborations with the potato industry to ensure delivery of new potato products.
Suggested Movement From Current Position




Increased focus of research to meet Scotland’s needs for high quality potato varieties.
Increased screening of CPC to identify genes linked with appropriate quality traits and
resistance genes for indigenous and non-indigenous pests and pathogens of relevance
to plant health requirements.
Development of potato varieties with durable G. pallida resistance.
Need to see evidence that the right traits have been identified and that processes have
been identified to ensure feed through to delivery.
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WORK PACKAGE DETAILS
Section 1: Contacts and Organisations
1.1 Title of SEERAD programme
Profitable and Sustainable Agriculture - Plants
1.2 Title of work package
Potato Genetics
1.3 Work package reference number
1.2
1.4 Work package manager details
Title
Dr
Forename
John
Surname
Bradshaw
Organisation Name
Scottish Crop Research Institute
Department or Division
Address Line 1
Invergowrie
Address Line 2
Address Line 3
Town/City
Dundee
Country
Scotland, UK
E-mail
john.bradshaw@scri.ac.uk
Telephone
01382 568524
Fax
01382 568587
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1.5 Organisations involved in work package and percentage contribution
Organisation name
% Total WP cost
Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI)
99.28
Scottish Agricultural College (SAC)
0.72
Biomathematics & Statistics Scotland
(BioSS)*
* All costs for the BioSS research area ‘Statistical Bioinformatics’
have been assigned to WP 1.1.
1.6 Total work package cost (£K GBP)
9,811.012
1.7 Duration of work package
60 months
1.8 Start date (dd/mm/yy)
01/04/06
1.9 End date (dd/mm/yy)
31/03/11
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Outline of Programme and Work Package Management Structure
Definition of terms used and remits.
Programme Group
The remit of the overarching Programme Group is as defined by SEERAD i.e. it will
maintain an advisory role with regard to strategy development, science evolution, work
package delivery and implementation of KT.
Work Packages
These represent the major delivery platforms for SEERAD commissioned research. Each
work package has a nominated manager and each work package contains specific
projects/modules/strands of work led by principal investigators.
Work Package Advisory Groups/Advisory Committee
These are groups designed to provide specific advice relevant to the science and KT portfolio
of the work package in question and will provide, for example, a commodity focus in WPs
1.1 to 1.5. The Programme Group as defined above remains the key vehicle for advising on
higher level operational/strategic/overview issues.
Programmes (SCRI)
At the SCRI, Programmes have been set up as part of its internal management system. The
Programmes are:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Genetics (GEN)
Plant Pathology (PP)
Quality Health & Nutrition (QHN)
Environment Plant Interactions (EPI)
Each Programme has a senior scientist as its leader. No Programme Leader is also a Work
Package Manager. Whilst Work Package Managers are challenged with delivery of the
SEERAD commissioned science, Programme Leaders have a wider remit. They will be
responsible for positioning the SCRI with regard to emerging external funding opportunities,
will provide leadership and communication within the generic areas defined in (a-d) above,
drive important cross-discipline interactions, develop strategies for staff development and
take part in Senior Management Board meetings to help formulate strategy for Institute
development and operational issues. Other MRPs will no doubt have a different internal
management system.
What is described above is a basic matrix management system.
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Section 2: Strategic Relevance
Please note: Section 2 is designed to allow assessment of the strategic, policy and end-user
relevance of the proposed work package by non-scientists. The information provided in this
section should be written in a style that someone with a standard level education in science
would find informative and accessible.
2.1 Overview
(Summarise in approximately 500 works the proposed work and indicate how it will address the required
outputs, including the relevance of the proposed work to SEERAD policy, end-user(s), relevant sector(s)
and to Scotland).
The proposed work will develop and use modern molecular breeding methods to transfer
useful genes identified in the Commonwealth Potato Collection (CPC), and germplasm
derived from the CPC, to parents for use in commercially funded potato breeding
programmes leading to finished cultivars suitable for seed production in Scotland and use
in Scotland’s export markets, primarily England and Wales, but also overseas.
Knowledge of the genetical variation present in the potato germplasm collections held at
the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI) will be sought and used to produce the parents
required for breeding Scottish potato varieties which will allow economically and
environmentally sustainable potato production in Great Britain. The development and
application of modern methods of genetical analysis to complex traits in potato, based on
sequence information, will underpin the program and keep SCRI internationally
competitive in the field of potato genetics and breeding, to the benefit of all end-users from
seed and ware growers and exporters through processors and supermarkets to the
consumers of finished products. The programme will thus address the main concerns raised
in the recent SEERAD strategy review (policy context), namely the lack of Scottish potato
varieties with suitable agronomic and consumer characteristics which encourages the
importation of seed and ware potatoes from overseas with increased risk to Scotland and
the UK of the introduction of new pests and pathogens. The programme will also address
the need for increased focus of research on the right traits (see below) to meet Scotland’s
needs for high quality potato varieties and a delivery pipeline through to finished cultivars.
It is anticipated that a new cultivar for each sector of the industry (crisps, French fries,
table use, novelty use and export) will be produced over the five year period of the
programme.
The most important germplasm collection is the Commonwealth Potato Collection (CPC)
which will be maintained, characterised, evaluated, documented and distributed upon
request to researchers and breeders under agreements consistent with the provisions of the
Convention on Biodiversity and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for
Food and Agriculture. The SEERAD strategy review highlighted the collection as a
valuable source of genetical diversity not available to breeders and researchers within
cultivar collections of the European cultivated potato, Solanum tuberosum subsp.
tuberosum, and as an example of ex situ plant genetic resources protecting biodiversity.
Maintenance to the highest health standards will be done in collaboration with the Scottish
Agricultural and Science Agency (SASA). The characterisation of the CPC, and
germplasm derived from the CPC, will focus on the required output of plant health
improvements, improvement of the environment, sustainable agriculture and the market
needs which have been identified in discussion with the main commercial companies
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which make up the potato industry.
The immediate objective is to address the need of the British Potato Industry for economic
sustainability with environmental benefits by producing cultivars which combine increased
yield of product, whether for table or factory use, with durable resistance to both potato
cyst nematodes (PCN) and late blight (in collaboration with WP 1.5 on potato pathology).
Nematicides are particularly toxic chemicals with aldicarb due to be withdrawn from use in
2007, and chemical control of late blight requires multiple sprays of fungicides.
Germplasm already identified in SCRI’s collections, together with modern molecular
breeding methods, will be used to achieve the objective in collaborations with the potato
industry, and will result in reduced pesticide and fungicide applications to potato crops and
reduced pesticide residues in potatoes for human consumption.
The medium-term objective is to address consumer benefits in terms of producing potatoes
and convenience potato products with improved aroma, taste, texture and nutritional value
as well as addressing health concerns over carbohydrate-based diets. The Scottish
Executive is concerned about diet-related diseases such as obesity and type II diabetes and
the Food Standards Agency wishes to minimise the amount of acrylamide present in
roasted and fried products because its presence may harm people’s health
(www.eatwell.gov.uk). Modern methods in genetics and chemistry will be used to
discover candidate genes affecting the traits in harvested, stored, cooked and processed
potatoes, most probably through starch and cell wall composition and structure, production
of reducing sugars, and volatile chemicals. Modern molecular breeding methods will then
be used to achieve the objective in collaborations with the potato industry.
The immediate and medium-term objectives will address the required outputs of improved
germplasm, markers, genes, bioinformatics and knowledge to help produce new potato
varieties which can deliver improved product and enhanced nutritional quality that will
increase the chances of the potato industry capturing and maintaining market share. The
research will integrate potato genomics, genetics and bioinformatics and link to the
international consortia to sequence the potato and tomato genomes which will be in place
by 2006 and which will involve SCRI.
Finally, thinking beyond the five year time span of the work package, a start will be made
to address water and fertiliser use efficiency as major political and environmental issues
facing potato growers in Britain at a time of climate change, which is predicted to result in
higher winter but lower summer rainfall. The aim will be to use a new appointment at
SCRI to build on current expertise and research programmes at Aberdeen University,
Dundee University, SCRI and Warwick-HRI, extending work on rice, tomato, Arabidopsis
and Brassicas to potatoes, and work on potatoes to the wider range of germplasm available
at SCRI for genetical analyses.
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2.2 Outcomes
(Describe the specific outcomes intended to arise from the proposed work and explain how these will
meet the ‘Required Outputs’ given in the work package specification. Outcomes could include products
and technologies, advice, recommendations, guidelines, protocols, IP and products, software and
technology as well as scientific knowledge).
Required Output 1: Characterisation and evaluation of germplasm collections which
focuses on plant health improvement, improvement of the environment, sustainable
agriculture and market needs including the needs of relevant markets.

Knowledge of the genetical variation present in the Commonwealth Potato Collection
(CPC) and germplasm derived from it for traits affecting plant health improvement,
improvement of the environment, sustainable agriculture and market needs including
the needs of relevant markets. Traits will include:
- Yield of product, whether for table or factory use.
- Durable resistance to potato cyst nematodes.
- Durable resistance to late blight.
- Aroma, taste and texture.
- Nutritional value: minimised acrylamide production and lower glycaemic index.



Increased knowledge about relationships among the tuber-bearing Solanum species and
the origin of polyploid species to inform choice of germplasm for potato breeding.
Knowledge of the genetic base of modern potato cultivars compared with the
biodiversity available in the wild and cultivated tuber-bearing Solanum species of
Central and South America and hence the need to widen base for traits listed above.
Understanding of the genetics of economically important traits and more generally of
the potato genome and its expression in cellular metabolism.
Required Output 2: New resources (improved germplasm, markers, genes, knowledge)
which deliver potato products capable of capturing and maintaining market share.

Parents, markers, candidate genes and genetical knowledge required to deliver new
potato cultivars and products capable of capturing and maintaining market share. The
parents will be improved for the following traits:
- Yield of product, whether for table or factory use.
- Durable resistance to potato cyst nematodes.
- Durable resistance to late blight.
- Aroma, taste and texture.
- Nutritional value: minimised acrylamide production and lower glycaemic index.


New, faster and more efficient breeding methods for the economically important traits
listed above, including both the introduction of genes from wild species and combining
them into a single cultivar through cycles of recurrent selection.
Two new sources of durable resistance to Globodera pallida, the white potato cyst
nematode, will be introduced from wild species in the CPC into parents for use in the
breeding of new cultivars.
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

Germplasm suitable for breeding cultivars for organic production in Scotland and
elsewhere in Great Britain so that Scottish bred cultivars can capture and maintain this
market share.
Plant Breeders’ Rights (IP) on new cultivars bred for commercial companies and hence
income generation on new cultivars internationally.
Required Output 3: Identification of tools (genes, markers, bioinformatics, knowledge)
to allow breeders to select crop varieties suitable for future climates in Scotland and
elsewhere.



Maintenance of the Commonwealth Potato Collection (CPC) as a valuable source of
genetical diversity not available to breeders and researchers within cultivar collections
of the European cultivated potato, and derived populations suitable for assessment in
field trials in Great Britain.
Identification of germplasm in or derived from the CPC of use for new research on
water and mineral use efficiency.
Identification for use in breeding of selection criteria for water and mineral use
efficiency.
Required Output 4: Increased emphasis on developing crops with enhanced nutritional
quality.


Knowledge of variation in glycaemic index in potato germplasm and its translation into
new selection criteria for use in potato breeding.
Knowledge of how variation in reducing sugar and amino acid contents of harvested
and stored potato tubers affects acrylamide production in fried and roasted potato
products and hence new selection criteria for use in potato breeding.
Required Output 5: Improved understanding of factors contributing towards product
quality including the identification of markers for key traits and genes of use to breeders.




Improved understanding of the genetical factors which contribute to improved aroma,
taste, uniformity of texture and nutritional value of harvested, stored, cooked and
processed potatoes, most probably through starch and cell wall composition and
structure, production of reducing sugars, and volatile chemicals.
Candidate genes and markers of use to breeders for aroma, taste, texture, nutritional
value, starch and cell wall composition, production of reducing sugars, and volatile
chemicals.
Robust physiological and phytochemical markers that could be applied to developing
and stored crops to facilitate the prediction of post-harvest sugar accumulation.
The knowledge and tools to produce potatoes with greater consistency of product and
hence reduced losses during processing and reduced costs of producing quality
products.
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2.3 Benefits
(Describe and if possible quantify the benefits which may arise from this research through the
application of the intended outcomes described in Section 2.2. How will the results/outcomes be used
and who will benefit? The likely policy, socio-economic and environmental impacts arising from this
work should be identified).
Knowledge of the genetical variation present in the potato germplasm collections held at
SCRI, the development of modern molecular breeding methods, and the production of
parents for use in commercially funded breeding programmes targeted at new cultivars for
economically and environmentally sustainable potato production in Great Britain with
enhanced nutritional and product quality, will benefit all end-users from scientists, through
the British Potato Industry (breeders, seed and ware growers and exporters, and processors
and supermarkets), to the general public. The supply chain increases in value from £450m
at the farm gate to a UK retail value of potatoes of £3.6bn (SEERAD figures). Whilst
benefits will accrue along the supply chain, they can be presented under the headings
scientists, breeders, farmers, consumers, the general public and policy makers.
Scientists


The international community of potato scientists will benefit from the development
and application of modern methods of genetical analysis to complex traits in potato,
based on sequence information, and from SCRI participation in the potato and tomato
genome sequencing consortia.
Scientists in Great Britain will benefit from access to the Commonwealth Potato
Collection as a valuable source of genetical diversity not available within cultivar
collections of the European cultivated potato, Solanum tuberosum subsp. tuberosum.
Breeders





Knowledge about the genetic base of modern potato breeding programmes and the
need to widen its base through the use of wild and cultivated species from Central and
South America.
Availability of new characterised germplasm which focuses on plant health
improvement, improvement of the environment, sustainable agriculture and the needs
of relevant markets.
Access in parental material to two new sources of resistance to the white potato cyst
nematode (Globodera pallida) in under 10 years time compared with up to 30 years in
the past for a new source of disease and pest resistance, and hence the ability to
respond quickly to any erosion of currently used resistances as a result of adaptation by
G. pallida.
Faster and more efficient production of new cultivars so that seed and ware growers,
processors, supermarkets and consumers can benefit more quickly than in the past.
More Scottish bred cultivars will increase income generation (Plant Breeders’ Rights)
for Scottish based breeding companies and seed producers. At present, because of the
number of free cultivars, breeders capture only about £1m of a potential £2m GB
royalty income.
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Farmers (seed growers and exporters and ware growers)






Scottish potato cultivars with suitable agronomic and consumer characteristics will
mean fewer imports of seed and ware potatoes from overseas and hence less risk to
farmers in Scotland and the UK of the introduction of new pests and pathogens.
New cultivars with improved yield of product, whether for table or factory use, and
with environmental and consumer benefits, will improve the economic sustainability of
potato production in Scotland and Great Britain. DEFRA project VSO128
(Investigation of Varietal Characteristics Required for Sustainable Agriculture)
concluded that a 10% increase in marketable yield was equivalent to an 8% decrease in
the cost of growing ware potatoes suitable for pre-pack.
Environmental sustainability of potato production in Scotland and Great Britain will be
improved through the release of new cultivars with the resistances required for reduced
use of toxic nematicides to control potato cyst nematodes (PCN) and reduction in the
large number of sprays required for chemical control of late blight. Fuel consumption
for spraying would also be reduced and so would the exposure to pesticides and
fungicides by farm workers. DEFRA project VSO128 concluded that cultivars with
blight resistance would decrease the cost of growing ware potatoes suitable for prepack by 5% to 7% and likewise cultivars with PCN resistance would decrease the cost
by 6% to 7%. However, the report also concluded that for ecotoxicity and water
pollution by pesticides, the impact is reduced by almost 50% by good resistance to
blight compared with less than 20% for all other crop-pesticide combinations. This is
because 11 blight sprays are normal on a susceptible crop.
Organic growers will have access to cultivars bred specifically for their production
system which should help them increase their competitiveness. Cultivars with high
levels of durable blight resistance will be of particular benefit.
In the longer-term, it should be possible to address the need for increased water and
mineral use efficiency for environmentally sustainable potato production during a
period of climate change, and to respond to changes in pest and pathogen profiles.
Cultivars suitable for future climates in Scotland and elsewhere will enable the
continuation of profitable seed and ware production of potatoes in Scotland and
elsewhere in Great Britain.
Consumers (processors and supermarkets)



New potato cultivars and products with improved aroma, taste, texture and nutritional
value, and which address health concerns such as pesticide residues, obesity and
acrylamide production in fried and roasted products will increase sales and help the
competitiveness of the British Potato Industry.
New potato cultivars capable of giving greater consistency of product and the
knowledge of how best to grow and to handle them during storage will result in
reduced losses and lower production costs for processors and help to keep processing
companies in Great Britain profitable in competition from overseas production.
The benefit of robust physiological and phytochemical markers to predict post-harvest
sugar accumulation will be in maintaining product quality as the impact of seasonal
changes become apparent and in the development of management tools to enhance the
value of new cultivars.
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General public (health issues)




Research on potato starch will reveal the scope for lowering the glycaemic index (GI)
of potatoes to the benefit of those suffering from type II diabetes.
New potato cultivars with lower levels of reducing sugars will allow storage at low
temperatures without sweetening and hence remove the need to store at temperatures
requiring sprout suppressants and should result in lower levels of acrylamide in fried
and roasted products.
New potato cultivars with increased resistance to potato cyst nematodes will result in
reduced use of toxic nematicides and address concerns about pesticide residues in
tubers for human consumption.
General socio-economic benefits to the public through reduced chemicals in the
environment, including lochs, rivers and groundwater. Decreased pesticides in the
environment are among the top priorities of the Food Standards Agency, and feature in
the EU Water and Soil Quality directives.
Policy makers


Knowledge about the genetical opportunities and limitations for economically and
environmentally sustainable potato production in Great Britain.
Demonstrable commitment to the aspirations of international treaties on the
maintenance and exploitation of plant genetic resources.
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2.4 Knowledge and technology transfer
(Describe plans for knowledge and technology transfer. Provide details of mechanisms, routes and
timings of and audiences for knowledge and technology transfer activities. Include brief details of
dialogues with end-user(s) who have helped plan/focus the work).
Programme level
A Programme level strategy for knowledge transfer, including details of IP management
and commercial exploitation, has been developed (Programme for Knowledge
Management and Transfer to Deliver SEERAD’s Strategy for Research on the
Environment, Biology and Agriculture, August 2005) and will provide a framework for
knowledge and technology transfer within this WP. This framework identifies key
audiences including policy makers and implementers, the general public and school
children, the national and international scientific community, commercial business and
farmers/land-based industries. It should be stressed that knowledge transfer will be a twoway process and that the views and opinions of key stakeholders will be taken into
consideration by the Work Package Management Committee.
The majority of information generated by the WP will be related to improved knowledge
and understanding and will be disseminated through publication in the scientific literature
as well as the routes identified below. In cases where information has been identified as
having significant commercial potential, this information will be protected (e.g. by patent
or plant breeders’ rights) and licensed to third parties to generate income for the MPRs.
This intellectual property (IP) will be owned by the MRP contributing the most to the
development of that IP, but with benefit-sharing to all contributing MRPs. Licences will
be limited to the field of use, appropriate territory and for a finite period and the MRPs will
retain the right to use the IP in their own research programmes.
Advisory group
Knowledge transfer is recognised as a two-way process and for this reason an important
part of the management plan is an advisory group to ensure that end-user relevance and
knowledge transfer are achieved. It is important that the work package manager and
principal investigators get feedback on industry and policy needs and it is equally
important that industry representatives and policy makers understand the opportunities,
timescales and limitations afforded by applying advances in potato genomics to potato
improvement. The advisory group will meet formally once a year and build on the
dialogues which have been held with a wide range of end-users in planning and focusing
the work, including the British Potato Council, breeders, seed producers, ware growers and
agronomists, processors and supermarkets.
Key aspects of knowledge and technology transfer concern the Commonwealth Potato
Collection, scientific knowledge, potato breeding in the genomics age, the breeding of
finished cultivars, the evaluation and commercialisation of finished cultivars and the
human health and nutrition community.
Commonwealth Potato Collection
Plant material from the Commonwealth Potato Collection will be made available to
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scientists and breeders under standard agreements negotiated at the national level in
accordance with the provisions of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for
Food and Agriculture and the Convention on Biodiversity. Information on the germplasm
will be available continuously on SCRI’s website and through joint databases with other
world collections such as the European wild Solanum species database and the Intergenebank Potato Database. The proposed enhancement of the CPC database with SCRI
molecular and metabolomic data will provide users of the collection with improved tools
for selection of accessions for particular purposes.
Scientific knowledge
The principal investigators and other scientists will make scientific knowledge available to
the scientific community through refereed papers in scientific journals and presentations at
scientific meetings:




SCRI scientists will continue to support and present their work at meetings of the
EAPR (European Association for Potato Research), in particular the congresses in
2008 and 2011.
SCRI scientists will continue to support and present their work at meetings of
EUCARPIA (European Plant Breeding Association), in particular the congress in 2008
and the joint section meetings with EAPR in 2006 and 2009.
SCRI scientists will support and participate in the British Nutrition Society and other
health, diet and nutrition bodies and societies such as Scottish Executive Home and
Health.
SCRI scientists will attend and present results of research at Annual Solanaceae
Genome Workshop (Global Event). This will be an important forum for developing
global collaboration in genomics.
The PIs and other scientists will also discuss the implications of advances in scientific
knowledge with representatives of the British Potato Industry, the general public and
policy makers. The most appropriate and efficient routes will be discussed in the Advisory
Group and action plans agreed on an annual basis. These will build on current mechanisms
which are expected to continue and will help promote the British Potato Industry at home
and abroad.




MRS (the commercial wing of SCRI) will use SCRI scientists to keep its customers
fully informed of advances in knowledge and technology at regular meetings
throughout the year and will also help to put advances into practice by seeking
appropriate new customers. Current customers include potato breeding contracts (six
GB-based companies) for companies with seed potato production in Scotland.
SCRI scientists will keep the British Potato Council informed of progress on an annual
basis and will participate in their major events and any other workshops and meetings
thought appropriate.
SCRI scientists will keep the Potato Sub-Committee of Scottish Society for Crop
Research informed of progress (three meetings a year) and they in turn will organise
promotional and discussion events for their membership (three events a year).
SCRI will continue to host Potatoes in Practice, an annual event in Scotland (SAC,
SASA, BPC, Industry) with participation and attendance from the whole of the GB
Potato Industry.
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






SCRI/MRS will continue to participate in the Potato Sub-Committee of the BSPB
(British Society for Plant Breeding) and keep them informed on an annual basis of
advances in knowledge and technology of relevance to potato breeding.
SCRI scientists will participate in the World Potato Congress.
SCRI scientists will participate in Crop Protection in Northern Britain in 2006, 2008
and 2010.
SCRI scientists will write articles for industry magazines such as Farmers Weekly,
Scottish Farmer, Eyewitness, Potato Review and SAC publications.
SCRI scientists will present relevant results to the policy makers in relation to health
and nutrition (European and British Food Standards Agencies, the Nutrition Society,
the Scottish Executive Health Department and food processing bodies and trade
organisations) through appropriate dialogue and meetings.
SCRI scientists will respond through the Director of SCRI to policy consultations from
SEERAD.
SCRI scientists will participate in SCRI Open Days for the general public, visits to
SCRI by interested public societies and school children, and events with large numbers
of visitors such as Dundee Food and Flower Festival, The Royal Highland Show, The
Royal Show and Science Festivals.
Finally, teaching is considered an important part of knowledge transfer for the future and
SCRI scientists will participate in university modular lectures, RSC school visits and host
placements, as well as supervising MSc and PhD students.
Potato breeding in the genomics age
A considerable increase in genetical knowledge is anticipated both from this work package
and from other potato genomics groups around the world. An important aim of the work
package is to show how this information can be used to make better use of germplasm in
breeding, to design better breeding programmes, to target the genetical control of
biochemical pathways in crop improvement and to achieve durable disease resistance,
particularly to late blight and potato cyst nematodes. This will be demonstrated in the
work package and implemented in the breeding of finished cultivars through commercial
partners. It will also be actively communicated to the British Potato Industry , particularly
commercial breeding companies, and the wider plant breeding community through the
routes outlined above under scientific knowledge. The PIs will also actively communicate
and discuss with industry and policy makers the technological benefits to be derived from
sequencing the potato genome (by the end of 2008). As some of the benefits will be most
easily achieved through GM technology, it will be important for the PIs to engage in
scientific debate with policy makers and the general public over the use of such
technology.
Breeding finished cultivars
The key pipeline for much of the technology transfer associated with the work package is
the breeding of finished cultivars. In other words, farmers, consumers and the general
public will benefit from the characterisation and evaluation of germplasm collections,
improved germplasm including parental material, genes, markers, bioinformatics and
knowledge through new cultivars. It is essential that MRS/SCRI maintains and builds on
the customer base that it has developed for potato breeding since the sale of the National
Seed Development Organisation in 1987. Our commercial contracts reflect the way that
15
the British Potato Industry operates and draw on the complementary strengths of SCRI and
the companies, which involve major processors and supermarket suppliers.. New business
will be actively sought to benefit the British Potato Industry. The PIs will also seek to
make improved germplasm and new breeding technology available to commercial potato
breeders in Great Britain through appropriate commercial agreements including
consultancies.
Evaluation of finished cultivars
The uptake of new cultivars will depend upon the demonstration of their superior qualities
to end-users. Our commercial customers are either end-users (processors) or the suppliers
to end-users (supermarkets). They all have their own agronomy and technical experts for
evaluating new cultivars and providing information to their seed and ware growers and to
their factories and to supermarkets. They are all vertically integrated from potato seed
production through to potato product production. Our work is the start of the supply chain
that progresses in value from £450m at the farm gate to a retail value of £3.6bn. Our
potential cultivars feed into the evaluation programmes of our commercial partners at the
earliest opportunity to maximise the chances of success i.e. as soon as we have enough
seed tubers for commercial trialling.
Potential cultivars will also be supplied to the BPC and SAC for collaborative evaluation
where this is thought to be in the general interest of the British Potato Industry.
Human health and nutrition community
The elucidation of factors controlling aroma, taste, texture and nutritional components such
as GI and acrylamide levels will be of direct relevance to the human health and nutrition
community. Changes that are found possible for GI and acrylamide levels will need to be
discussed with the clinical, medical and nutritional communities. This will be done
through organisations such as the Nutrition Society and direct interaction with the FSA and
EFSA, as well as the nutritional experts in major potato and food processors.
If food choice and holistic well-being are ultimately driven by desirable organoleptic
properties, then nutritional value and the identification of the factors underpinning potato
organolepsis will mean that tailored products can be formulated. However, this can only
be done successfully in conjunction with experienced food choice experts. This
collaborative pipeline has already been established via the Centre for Health Inducing
Plants, a joint venture between SCRI and the University of Dundee Medical School.
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2.5 Contribution to cross-cutting themes
(Describe how the proposed work will contribute to the three cross-cutting themes set out in the
SEERAD SRG Research Strategy: Responding to Climate Change; Protecting Biodiversity and
Environmental; and Social and Economic Sustainability of Rural Scotland).
Responding to climate change
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Evaluation of the biodiversity in the Commonwealth Potato Collection and derived
germplasm for water and mineral use efficiency and the development of selection
criteria and tools (genes, markers, bioinformatics and knowledge) for use by breeders,
will contribute to responding to climate change by providing breeders with the means
to produce new cultivars adapted to changed growing seasons and conditions.
Maintenance of the Commonwealth Potato Collection will ensure that breeders have
access to wild and cultivated potato germplasm which is adapted to a wide range of
environments and which is not available within cultivar collections of the European
cultivated potato, Solanum tuberosum subsp. tuberosum. Such germplasm will be the
raw material for breeding potatoes for climate change which in Scotland is anticipated
to be warmer and wetter winters, less snowfall, less summer rain and an increased
volatility in weather patterns. Such potatoes will need to be adapted to different
growing seasons and conditions and to new disease and pest problems.
The desk study on the effect of climate change on potato diseases (WP 1.5.7) will
evaluate the need to breed for resistance to new disease and pest problems.
Protecting biodiversity
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Maintenance, evaluation and utilisation of the Commonwealth Potato Collection and
derived germplasm will contribute to protecting biodiversity through ex situ plant
genetic resources as envisaged in the Convention on Biodiversity and the International
Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.
The continual production of new potato varieties and their addition to the potato
cultivar collection held at SASA in Edinburgh will also contribute to protecting
biodiversity through ex situ plant collections.
The breeding of suitable new potato cultivars will help in the adoption of biodiversity
friendly agricultural practices as envisaged in the Scottish Biodiversity Action Plan of
the Scottish Executive.
Environmental, Social & Economic Sustainability of Rural Scotland
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The breeding of Scottish potato cultivars with suitable agronomic and consumer
characteristics will help to ensure that potato production in Scotland is economically
and environmentally sustainable so that the Scottish Potato Industry thrives and
contributes to the economic sustainability of Rural Scotland. This objective links to
WP 1.7 on Sustainable Crop Systems.
2.6 Contribution of work package to programme
(Describe how this work package contributes and adds value to the overall programme of which the
work package is a part. If applicable, briefly state how the proposed work adds value to other SEERAD
programmes).
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The work package contributes to the overall programme by producing the germplasm
and tools required to breed new potato cultivars which will allow sustainable Scottish
crop production in a changing environment.
It will add value through links with UK, European and Global research in potato
genomics and participation in the Potato Genome Sequencing Consortium as well as
the tomato one will bring major benefits.
The parts of the work package on the genetics of durable disease and pest resistance
complement and are linked to the work on disease resistance in WP 1.5 (Section 3) on
potato pathology and hence add value to the overall programme.
In addition, the development of potatoes which maintain their harvest nutrient levels
and/or are nutritionally enhanced, can feed directly into Programme 4 (WPs 4.1-4.3).
In particular, evaluation of low GI potatoes in WP 4.2 would demonstrate the
immediate benefits of such varieties for dietary strategies for the management of an
obesogenic environment.