In the coming decades, providing the world's growing population with food will require doubling the production of agricultural crops. Along with corn, rice and wheat, potatoes are the world's most widely grown food crop. Its advantages: affordability, high nutritional value, suitability for long-term storage and high yield. It serves as the basis for preparing a variety of dishes both at home and in the public catering system, and also remains an important raw material for processing.
But potatoes are a difficult crop in many economic and biological parameters. Its economical use of water and adaptability to cool climates are combined with high requirements for soil looseness and the absence of stones. For this reason, the distribution of potato cultivation areas in different regions of the world is extremely uneven (Fig. 1).
Figure 1. Distribution of potato area worldwide (FAO 2016)
Intensive cultivation of a crop with a yield of 40-50 t/ha requires active control of many diseases and pests, therefore numerous chemical plant protection products are used, which can have a significant impact on the environment. For example, almost the entire area under potato in the US regions with long-term and maximum specialization (Idaho, Washington, North Dakota) is periodically subject to fumigation. This means adding about 500 kg/ha of potent drugs, such as metham sodium or chloropicrin, to the soil. Without such sterilization, it is impossible to obtain a high-quality product there, since the soils are highly infected. In developing countries, yields per hectare are low (15-20 t/ha) due to the use of low-quality source material and suboptimal cultivation methods. On the world map, Russia is also included among such regions (Fig. 2).
Figure 2. Global distribution of potato yield (t/ha), FAOSTAT, 2014-2016
However, we should not forget that the statistical data of the Russian Federation still takes into account the potato yield on the household plots of the population, which in any case cannot be as high as in specialized agricultural enterprises, which have long reached the level of 30-40 t/ha. Those. The territory of Russia is correctly reflected on this map not in orange, but in light green or, in extreme cases, yellow.
According to the FAO forecast, the area under potato cultivation in the future will increase most strongly in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia (Fig. 3).
Figure 3. The future of potato production. Blue bar – data for 2015, orange – forecast for 2030, yellow – forecast for 2050
Areas in North America and China will remain at the same level, while in Europe they will decrease. Obviously, this forecast is very general. The same main European potato-producing countries NWEC-05 (Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and England) are not going to reduce, but will only increase potato production. A detailed business analysis of the state, conditions and opportunities for further development of the potato growing industry in these countries was recently published (Table 1).
Table 1. SWOT analysis of potato production in NWEC-05 countries
Strengths: very favorable soil and climatic conditions for growing potatoes, which leads to the highest potato yields on a global scale; highly qualified and/or experienced potato growers; developed integrated supply chains from breeding and seed production to the final market; developed processing industry, mainly for the production of frozen foods; availability and access to the latest technologies for potato production, crop protection and storage; high-level academic and community research to address problems in the potato sector; availability of potato support/distribution services throughout NWEC-05; presence of international potato organizations such as Europatat (trade), EUPPA (processors) and NEPG (producers); well-developed trading network for the export of fresh and processed potato products.
Weak sides: Irrigation of potatoes produces higher CO emissions2 in terms of dry matter yield; use of large quantities of pesticides to control diseases/pests/weeds; root systems with low N efficiency, leading to high N costs and risks from N leaching; requirement for a high level of technology used; Soil ridges cause water and nutrient runoff and erosion in sloping fields; high volatility in potato prices compared to increased production costs; lack of a high level of public cooperation between countries to jointly resolve production issues; economic challenges between actors in the potato value chain; poor image of the potato sector in the media.
Features: new breeding technologies to speed up the creation of varieties; development of precision agriculture and remote sensing; development of biocontrol products to combat potato diseases, pests, and weeds; development of mechanical alternatives to chemical pesticides for disease/pest/weed control; potential for expanded cooperation in the production of various types of potatoes within the framework of NWEC-05; growing demand for organic potato production; climate change is leading to longer growing seasons and higher rates of crop growth and yields; increasing short-term potato sales channels; growing demand for knowledge, seed tubers, potato products in developing countries.
Threats: reduction in potato consumption in Europe; new disease and pest problems; problems of crop and tuber protection due to the prohibition of active substances; climate change and extreme weather events; impacts of potato production intensification on global soil fertility and soil health (disease/pest evolution, water runoff, soil erosion, soil compaction); in some areas (F, D, England) irrigation is required to maintain or achieve higher yields; irrational lobby or marketing positions regarding growing practices (eg the No Residue campaign against maximum residue limit regulation); excessive development of potato processing.
Russia has all the conditions and opportunities to become a leading producer of high-quality commercial potatoes and potato products on a global scale. Only most of the strong distinctive features of European potato growing are still characteristics of the weakness of Russian one. The commercial potato growing industry in the Russian Federation has just been formed and has reached an area of 300 thousand hectares and production volumes of about 8 million tons (the same amount of commercial potatoes is produced in the Netherlands). It lacks stability and many of the functioning and support institutions listed in Table 1. But there are undeniable advantages in terms of large-scale production, low level of pesticide load used (soil fumigation, for example, is not used at all), biologization, the harsh winter climate helps control phytosanitary problems. The same trends of rising temperatures and aridity, aggravation of the infectious situation, from which Western European potato growers suffer the most, forced to transfer, for example, the production of seed potatoes to other regions, should generally be assessed as positive climate changes for potato growing throughout Russia. It is clear that it is becoming more difficult to grow potatoes for the seasonal market in the southern regions, but it becomes possible to consistently move potatoes to more northern territories.
At the same time, only such a level of Russian potato growing is promising that will be consistently competitive in comparison with Western European and American ones, as well as against the background of the production of other main food crops (wheat, rice, corn), and will allow obtaining high yields in various soil and climatic conditions. The main challenge of the future will be to produce more products with the same or fewer resources and with less waste. The reserves and prospects of the Russian Federation in this regard are enormous. As soon as the country's natural resources begin to be used in the interests of developing its economy, potato production in Russia will become consistently competitive, much more profitable and profitable than in other regions of the globe. But for this it is necessary that fuel, electricity, gas, metals and fertilizers be supplied to the domestic market at reasonably sufficient domestic prices that do not hinder the development of other sectors of the economy. Iranian gasoline in Iran costs 10 rubles/liter (in terms of conversion, of course), and the price of Belarusian potassium chloride 60% in the Republic of Belarus in the spring of this year was 6 rubles/t, while Russian in the Russian Federation was 000 rubles/t.
A brief overview of the state of global potato production is given specifically because the result of potato production (P) is determined by the product: P = G × E × M × S, where G is the genotype or variety, E is soil and climatic conditions, M is management or level of technology and S – macroeconomic environment. Favorable soil and climate conditions are critical to harnessing the potential of varieties, new technological innovations and contribute to the prosperity of the local potato sector. The development of financial and non-financial services (loan rates, leasing, insurance, budget subsidies for production and infrastructure, etc.) are also key components of ensuring the efficiency of the industry (Fig. 4).
Drawing. 4. Outcomes (P) of rural and industrial potato agri-food systems based on differential influences of genotype (G), environment (E), management factors (M) and societal needs and services (S)
Breeding or creating new potato varieties – a significant factor in the effective production of potatoes, which will only increase its importance in the future. Thanks to the deciphering of the potato genome and the capabilities of new breeding technologies, it seems to be the number one reserve for the further development of potato growing. The influence of the results of the main directions of selection on increasing the efficiency of potato growing is briefly presented in Table 2.
Table 2. The influence of breeding directions on increasing the efficiency of potato production
Key research options for improving the efficiency of potato production systems | Aspects of food security | ||||||
Contribution to production intensification | Farmer's income | Efficiency of calorie and nutrient production | Reducing environmental impact | ||||
Water efficiency | Land use efficiency | Nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiency | Efficiency of pesticide use | ||||
Selection and breeding of varieties (G - genotype) | |||||||
High yield potential | ** | *** | *** | Neutral/Negative | *** | ** | — |
Pathogen resistance | — | *** | * | *** | ** | ** | *** |
Resistance to drought/heat/salinity | *** | *** | * | — | ** | ** | * |
Precocity | *** | *** | *** | ** | *** | *** | *** |
Biofortification (e.g. iron and zinc) | — | — | — | — | * | ** | — |
True hybrid varieties F1 and TPS, gene editing | *** | *** | *** | *** | ** | *** | *** |
Potato seed production (M - Management) | |||||||
Production and distribution of high quality seeds | — | ** | * | * | *** | * | Neutral/negative. |
Potato breeding is aimed at achieving complex and difficult to combine goals. Combining stress tolerance and efficient nutrient absorption is becoming a priority to better respond to evolving climate change. Genotypes with resistance to viruses, nematodes, bacterial wilt and a wider range of abiotic stresses such as heat, drought and salinity conditions could improve productivity and expand potato production into new regions. Developing early and high-yielding varieties with resistance to P. infestans has been a long-standing goal of potato breeding. Disease resistance has become a key goal of EU breeding programs only recently, when the environmental lobby achieved restrictions on the use of pesticides and mineral fertilizers, as well as an outright ban on the use of many common and difficult-to-replace chemical active ingredients. Genetic biofortification (increasing nutritional value) can help overcome micronutrient deficiencies in the human diet and maintain high levels of consumption of more nutritious tubers.
All virtually confirmed and sought-after successes in potato breeding are based on hybridization, i.e. crossing selected parent pairs. Successful integration and combination of genetic characteristics of parents in offspring is achieved very rarely due to the tetraploid genetics of cultivated potatoes. Moreover, all four sets of chromosomes differ in gene composition. For this reason, successful potato breeding programs are based on large volumes of source material (at least 100 thousand genotypes) and a long-term (at least 10 years) process of selecting and evaluating the best varieties. The efficiency of classical selection does not exceed 0,01%. There were many hopes to increase the rate and efficiency of breeding through the use of distant hybridization, mutagenesis, cell selection, somatic hybridization, trait marking, etc., but all these methods did not lead to the creation of successful potato varieties. Currently, genome editing technology is being actively tested, and Dutch scientists have initiated a potato breeding strategy for the production and use of hybrid botanical seeds (Table 3).
Table 3. Technologies for creating potato varieties
Technologies for creating potato varieties
How does it work? | Improving potato quality | Selling seeds | Protection of European rights | Trade rights | |||
Grade | Process | ||||||
Traditional selection | New varieties are developed by crossing existing varieties, followed by years of breeding research. | The introduction of new characteristics takes at least 10 years. | Not suitable for sale because each individual tuber has individual characteristics. | The breeders are right, the costs for developers: tens of thousands of euros. Breeders can apply for patents for new plant traits. | Crossing varieties is a natural process and is not subject to EU GMO patent legislation. | The Dutch General Inspectorate classifies potato seeds as a quality class. Each country has its own requirements for seed potato plant health. | |
Hybrid selection | New varieties are developed more quickly by crossing pure parental lines that have only one gene variant for all genes, followed by years of research. | They promise that new features can be introduced in less than five years. However, it will first be necessary to derive the corresponding lines with suitable features. | Yes, potato seeds from pure parental lines have uniform characteristics and can be used as planting material. | The breeders are right, the costs for developers: tens of thousands of euros. Breeders can apply for patents for new plant traits. | Crossing varieties is a natural process and is not subject to EU GMO patent legislation. | Regulations for certified potato seed are still being developed. Many countries do not yet have any regulations. | |
Genetic modification including CRISPR-cas9 | Modification of existing varieties through active intervention in the genetic material, followed by years of research into traits and stability. | Even if DNA tampering only takes a few days, the entire process from gene identification to field research takes longer. The DuRPH project, in which existing varieties were given multiple resistance to potato late blight, took a total of 10 years. | Not suitable for sale because each individual tuber has individual characteristics. | Subject to EU GMO regulations. In order for a variety to be approved for use, the developer must demonstrate the safety of the product. Cost: million euros. Breeders can apply for patents on new plant traits. | Genetic modification is not a natural process and can be subject to patent application. | The Dutch General Inspectorate classifies potato seeds as a quality class. Each country has its own requirements for seed potato plant health. |
* Breeder's rights can be claimed if the variety is new, distinct, uniform and stable. With breeder's rights, the scientist has the exclusive right to sell seed potatoes and (real) seeds (Louwaars et al., 2009)
Obtaining botanical seeds from crossing is the first stage in classical breeding. Subsequently, tubers are obtained from the seeds, and potato varieties are maintained and propagated exclusively in the form of tubers. But Dutch breeders intend to transfer potatoes to the category of seed crops so that potatoes can be grown in the same way as other widespread vegetable crops (carrots, cabbage, onions, beets), i.e. from botanical seeds, and that the seeds have all the characteristics of F1. In this regard, there is some ambiguity in the term “hybrid potato”. All varieties are also hybrids, therefore the additional designations F1 and TPS have been introduced for botanical potato seeds = seed material. This grandiose business idea is designed to ensure that the Netherlands retains its status and income as the world leader in potato seed production in the event that further climate warming does not allow the cultivation of high-quality tuber seed material.
Prospects for hybrid F1 (GST) potato breeding are still very uncertain. The initial confidence of the 2015-2016 startups to produce commercial table-grade combinations in two to three years has gradually transformed into a promise to create the first high-starch hybrids by 2028. The specification of the goal of creating starchy hybrids is not accidental - for such potatoes there are no requirements for uniformity of shape, depth of eyes, character of the peel, early ripeness and many other characteristics and properties that modern table potatoes should have. It is extremely difficult to achieve uniformity of botanical seeds of tetraploid cultivated potatoes in all genes, and, accordingly, in characteristics and properties, but this has not yet been possible. It is not without reason that in classical breeding one seed from a potato berry is a unique genotype and potentially a separate future variety, while another seed from the same berry can become a different variety, completely different from the first. As one would expect, the first to achieve real success in creating hybrid table potatoes were not potato, but vegetable breeding companies with high qualifications and extensive experience in hybrid breeding. Bejo breeders spent over 15 years creating the first tetraploid hybrid potato variety, Oliver F1, which has been produced and available on the global market since 2020.
Meanwhile, work on the commercialization of botanical seeds is unfolding quite dynamically, with huge financial resources invested in it. The hybrid potato has achieved national icon status in the Netherlands, and the breeding method is protected by an EU patent. All traditional markets for Dutch seed potatoes have begun to adopt botanical seeds early. First of all, in the countries of Africa, Central and Southeast Asia - seminars, presentations, demonstration plantings. It is stated that seed tubers are a thing of the past, and botanical seeds are the future of the world potato industry. And instead of 2-3 t/ha of planting material, it will be possible to get by with only 30 g/ha (not a word about the fact that the seeds will have to be grown using seedling technology, using manual labor). This is a state strategy and a systematic, systematic program to which all commercial and government structures are connected.
As it turned out, botanical potato seeds are already being unofficially tested in Russia. Botanical heterosis seeds are a niche but very expensive product. Its main buyers, as predicted, should be small farms in developing, densely populated countries who grow potatoes by hand and who, with all due respect, are unreasonably considered to be wealthy and innovative. It is very important for the developers of this breeding technology to include Russian potato growers, who are generous and currently pay twice as much as Europeans themselves, for European seed potatoes, among the consumers of F1 seeds.
Introduction of potato genomic editing technologies – another promising way to achieve the benefits of the potato of the future. Genome editing is the targeted and deliberate addition, deletion, replacement and translocation of sections of an organism's natural DNA. This method is based on knowledge and understanding of the role and functions of specific genes. When such knowledge is available and a desired trait can be achieved through targeted modification, genome editing becomes a more efficient way of making these changes compared to other breeding technologies. The accumulated level of knowledge of genetics allows you to edit potato varieties.
Editing methods have been developed and increasingly used over the past few years to make precise and predictable genome modifications in plants without adding foreign DNA. The CRISPR/Cas9 technique has proven to be more efficient than other enzyme systems (zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and meganucleases (MNs). CRISPR-Cas is currently the most widely used tool genome editing and has been adopted in breeding research and development around the world, genome editing can improve underperforming or problematic varieties without introducing foreign or additional genetic information in the form of DNA, allowing precise and predictable modifications to be made directly into the genome of already created varieties. This is the fundamental difference between editing the genome of a crop plant and its transgenosis, i.e. the targeted addition of foreign genes to the genome.Transgenic organisms are easily detected because transgenosis creates a new, unique and atypical set of genes.
The genetic changes made using CRISPR-Cas technology are no different from changes that can occur naturally or as a result of conventional breeding. This means that without prior knowledge, it is impossible to determine whether a genetic change is the result of genome editing. Once genome-edited products leave the laboratory, it becomes difficult to control their further spread. It is this feature that is currently significantly hindering the commercialization of edited varieties - genetic procedures are expensive and need to be reimbursed when using the resulting effect; developers are looking for opportunities for patent protection of editing products.
Genome editing has been applied to a wide range of crops and traits, and the first such varieties have already been introduced into actual agricultural production in the United States and Japan. Reports of changes in more than 60 plant species have been published in the scientific literature. Specific examples of edited genomes include: banana - removal of banana vein virus; early flowering rice with modified oil composition; carotenoid-enriched rice; grapevine resistant to fungal diseases; soybeans with high oil and protein content; strawberries that bloom many times; corn with increased yield under drought stress; mustard with improved taste with high lycopene content of tomato amylopectin; potatoes high in GABA; potatoes without glycoalkaloids and many others.
Currently, the cultivation of genomic crops is regulated differently around the world. In the Americas, as well as China, Australia, India and Japan, the cultivation of genome-edited varieties is not subject to genetically modified organism (GMO) legislation. In the EU, genome editing was recognized as a type of GMO and thus banned in 2016, but the use of this technology did not stop for a single day, laboratories were immediately moved to other countries. The worldwide successful implementation of the method and discussions on this topic organized by the breeding and seed business led to the lifting of the EU ban on genome editing in 2023.
Against the backdrop of significant improvements in breeding technologies taking place in the world, our situation is as follows:
- Genome editing in the Russian Federation it is classified as a GMO; the use of this technology has been prohibited since 2016. And there is no discussion about this in the breeding and seed business and the scientific community. However, the world quickly (slower in the EU) assessed new opportunities and lifted restrictions. Rejection of new breeding technologies will only lead to a further lag behind the achieved scientific and technological progress.
- Creation of hybrids F1 potato theoretically a very interesting and tempting goal, but botanical seeds are unlikely to be widely used in potato growing in the Russian Federation, because returning from the level of large-scale, fully mechanized production to growing seedlings with the inevitable use of manual labor is illogical and irrational. In order to radically reduce the level of variation in the morphological and economic-biological parameters of hybrid botanical seeds, a transition to the diploid level and repeated inbreeding of parental forms is carried out. Successful hybrid crosses require fertile, vigorous and homozygous inbred lines. The problem of obtaining high yields of heterotic seeds must be solved mechanized, without the use of manual pollination, i.e. the same way as is done for other agricultural crops (corn, sunflower, sugar beets, vegetables). This means the need to use such genetic tools as cytoplasmic male sterility, self-compatibility and self-incompatibility, and ensuring high fertility. And if on issues of inbreeding, introgression of traits, assessment of heterosis of the source material, etc. On auxiliary methodological aspects, scientific publications are a continuous stream, but on the technology for producing commercial volumes of TPS - not a single one. Because this is an area of know-how, which will provide a future return on funds invested in the development and mastery of this technology. Getting a high yield of heterotic potato seeds is not at all the same as getting a high yield of seed tubers. The required investments in the development of potato heterosis are so large that only a few breeding companies around the world can afford it. There are no such things in the Russian Federation yet.
- Traditional potato breeding in the Russian Federation is in a stage that can be described as a period of potential revival. The presence of several hundred Russian varieties in the state register should not be misleading, because the effectiveness and level of selection is assessed by the volume of the second stage of selection - seed production, which is often correctly called supporting selection. Seed production volumes mean the area of cultivation of varieties, the proportion of which in total production shows the effectiveness and competitiveness of breeding work. Due to the lack of seed production, it is necessary to exclude most of the previously created Russian varieties from the register and simply forget about them. The currently adopted regulations on the register of varieties of the Russian Federation provide for this: if there is no seed production for the last two years, the variety should be excluded from the register.
The revival of Russian potato breeding, as well as many other agricultural crops, became possible just a few years ago, after a twenty-year period of Russia becoming the largest market for everything, including seeds from foreign breeding and seed companies. The degradation was based on the assurances of foreign partners and the naive hope for the possibility of equal cooperation, they say, now Russian farmers will be able to use the best achievements of world selection. The planned seed production system was set free to float for self-survival and quickly collapsed. Research institutes, where selection work was and is being carried out, hastened to free themselves from the format of breeding and seed production enterprises - from private enterprises engaged in actual seed production. By the beginning of 2000, the volumes of domestic production of potato seed material became minimal. And foreign selection really came, and immediately in the form of very large volumes of seeds, which were required by the emerging large potato-producing enterprises of a new format. The share of foreign varieties in Russian fields has increased sharply, not because Russian varieties are inferior, but because European breeding firms have been able to supply unlimited quantities of seeds. For quite a long time everything was fine - imported seed material was supplied in unlimited quantities, at affordable prices and of acceptable quality, foreign breeding companies distributed licenses and launched elite and reproductive seed production of their varieties within the country.
And “equality” in the field of selection quickly disappeared as Russia’s own production weakened. Prices for imported seed potatoes have crept up, and their quality has begun to noticeably decline. But only after the first tranche of anti-Russian sanctions in 2014 at the state level came the understanding of the huge risk of complete dependence on foreign selection. In 2016, the President of the Russian Federation ordered the development of a program to support Russian selection and seed production of potatoes (FNTP) in order to increase production volumes and improve the quality of seed potatoes in order to eliminate dependence on imports. So why do we use the term "period of potential revival" rather than period of rebirth? But because in practice support is provided ambiguously.
In our opinion, it would be logical to direct the main measures and funding volumes (at least 50%) of the FSTP to stimulate a direct increase in the volume of seed potato production and improve its quality. Such measures include:
– subsidizing the cost of sold seed material of new Russian varieties of all categories;
– subsidizing the acquisition by enterprises engaged in and increasing the volume of seed production with a predominance of new Russian varieties, specialized means of production, modernization and construction of storage facilities;
– organization and provision of infrastructure for a specialized territory of the “High Grade” category in the northern regions of the Russian Federation for the production of high-quality seed potatoes of the highest quality for the domestic market and export;
– stimulating domestic production of chemical protective equipment;
– stimulating the production of specialized equipment for potato seed production.
The systemic nature and unification of all the country’s forces and resources to solve these truly pressing problems for the industry and achieve significant progress in the volume of seed production and cultivation of varieties of Russian selection is not yet visible. Foreign breeding companies are very interested in ensuring that time and money are wasted, but there are no significant improvements in Russian selection. They do not want to lose such a capacious and undemanding sales market.
Is it possible to ensure the competitiveness of Russian potato breeding in the current macroeconomic situation? Yes, there is, but only on the basis of the existing capabilities of individual enterprises. To do this, it is necessary to simultaneously use and control several components of high competitiveness:
First: create varieties of the highest (world) level, fortunately there is something and someone to compare and compete with. High-quality selection of potatoes, including supportive ones, for and in local conditions always wins, if only for the reason that potatoes are a heavy and difficult product to transport.
The second: using the format of a breeding and seed production enterprise is the most important factor and condition for ensuring the competitiveness of potato breeding in the Russian Federation. In developed countries, breeding firms are engaged in seed production, control seed production in every possible way and consider it as the result of selection. Separate selection and separate seed production are a hopeless option.
Third: work at a modern, global level, fully utilize all factors of competitiveness in this area: specialization; optimal soil and climatic conditions; equipping with the most modern special material and technical base; highly qualified specialists; compliance with mandatory organizational, methodological and technological requirements and regulations.
Fourth: control and avoid risks in work (short growing season; high air and soil temperatures; lack of moisture; irrigation; import of tuber material; combination of seed production and commercial potato growing).
Fifth: ensure the highest level of quality of the produced seed material (meaning varietal, sowing indicators and yield properties). Sowing qualities and yield properties are the most significant reserves of progress for Russian breeding enterprises.
In conclusion, we emphasize that we can talk about competitiveness in the domestic market of the Russian Federation and with the actual implementation by the state of a set of necessary measures to develop and support the domestic economy.
Sergey Banadysev, doctor of agriculture. Sciences, LLC "DGT",
Elena Shanina, doctor of agriculture. Sciences, Ural Research Institute of Agriculture