A disease- and flood-resistant potato cultivar developed in Taiwan could help alleviate a global crop shortage amid climate change, the Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute said.
The new potato variety was developed as part of a cross-breeding program between Atlantic potatoes and high-yielding varieties, which was carried out from 2016 to 2019.
The resulting variety, named Tainung No. 4, resistant to wet conditions, disease and processable. These qualities are very important for large scale food production and organic farming.
Last month, the Agriculture and Food Agency patented Tainung No.4, and representatives of the institute said they plan to start working with farmers to plant it next year.
Climate change has caused an increase in the number of floods in the country and an increase in the number of plant diseases, which has led to significant losses in farmers' income. Under such conditions, sustainable varieties are in high demand.
An important indicator of the quality of potatoes is the dry matter content. At Tainung No. 4 this figure is 22 percent, like its parent, the Atlantic potato. It is uniform in size and about 70 percent of the crop is made up of large marketable tubers, and the low content of reducing sugars means it does not darken when roasted.
Another advantage is that potatoes of this variety are easy to cook, as they have a nice crumbly texture and can be cooked for a long time without overcooking. The growing season of a new variety is from 100 to 110 days.