The James Hutton Institute leads global scientific research and breeding efforts to create new potato varieties with valuable traits and enhanced resilience to stresses like disease and extreme temperatures.

Developing these varieties is challenging due to the complex nature of potato breeding. Offspring often inherit only some desired traits from parent plants, as cultivated potatoes are typically tetraploid, carrying four copies of each chromosome. This complexity leads to high recombination levels, making it hard to predict and control trait inheritance.

To address these challenges, researchers are utilizing molecular markers—short DNA sequences in the genome that indicate the presence of specific traits. Years of research have gone into identifying genetic foundations of key traits and developing reliable molecular markers to enhance precision and efficiency in modern potato breeding.

Professor Ingo Hein, Head of Potato Genetics at the Hutton, explains that by analyzing each of the four genome copies individually, researchers can tag beneficial DNA segments known as haplotypes. This allows for the precise detection of specific DNA regions associated with valuable traits, making breeding more effective for both large and small genomic regions.

This breakthrough has the potential to benefit farmers and the agricultural industry by speeding up the development of new varieties and enhancing crop protection against environmental challenges. The strategy is not limited to potatoes and can be applied to various crops with adequate genomic and genetic data, emphasizing the importance of fundamental research in creating resilient crops and ensuring long-term food security.