Breeders of the Siberian Research Institute of Plant Growing and Breeding, a branch of the Federal Research Center of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SibNIIRS), submitted a new potato variety Nika, characterized by a beautiful tuber shape and good taste, for state testing, the press service reports. ICG SB RAS.
“This variety is distinguished by high yield, good taste and beautiful tuber shape, which is what retail chains pay attention to. It also demonstrates resistance to such common potato diseases as golden potato nematode and cancer,” said Galina Artemova, Deputy Head of Research at SibNIIRS.
This variety was created by classical selection. But in the breeding nurseries on the experimental fields of SibNIIRS, work is also underway with plant lines obtained by researchers of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences using marker-based breeding methods.
“This is a promising material, which in the coming years will turn into new varieties with high economic performance, but the main thing is that the work on their creation takes several times less time. The process of modernizing domestic breeding, introducing the most advanced genetic technologies into work, is entering the home stretch,” Artemova said.