The Feed the Future Global Biotech Potato Partnership is a five-year, multi-institution cooperative agreement with USAID to introduce bio-engineered potato products in farmer-preferred varieties into Africa and Asia. The biotech potato offers broad-spectrum stacked gene resistance to late blight (Phytophthora infestans), the most devastating potato disease in the world. Focal countries include Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, and Nigeria.

The Global Biotech Potato Partnership project team recently gathered on the campus of Michigan State University (MSU) for a three-day annual project review and planning session. The event provided an opportunity for face-to-face interaction, networking and team building. Participants attended from Bangladesh, Kenya, Indonesia, Minnesota and Utah. The program was also available on zoom for those unable to travel to Michigan.

The International Society for Biosafety Research (ISBR) held their 2023 Symposium recently in St. Louis. The event brought together world leaders in cutting-edge biosafety research, technology development, risk analysis, regulation, policy and communication.

The Global Biotech Potato Partnership was excited to participate with a workshop titled, "Safety Assessment of Potato with 3 R Genes for Late Blight Resistance: A Global Perspective." The workshop featured experiences and discussions on biosafety issues from the project in its work to bring a 3 R-gene late blight resistant potato to Africa and Southeast Asia. Regulatory experts from each of the four target countries of the project (Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya and Nigeria) also presented their in-country regulatory system and approach to safety assessments.

Global Biotech Potato Partnership's first late blight resistant confined field trials conducted in Bangladesh were harvested in June.

The trials, led by the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) were held at BARI research stations in Gazipur, Munshiganj, Rangpur, and Hathazari.

Bangladesh ranks seventh in global potato production and crops are often destroyed by late blight disease. The disease resistant potato in the farmer preferred variety Diamant is expected to provide lower input costs for smallholder farmers when it is released.

Feed the Future Global Biotech Potato Partnership Indonesian principle investigator Dr. Dinar Ambarwati (L) and breeder Dr. Kusmana (R) receive potato mini-tubers sent by Michigan State University to be used for seed multiplication and confined field trials as research continues on the late blight resistant potato in multi-location trials across Indonesia. The tubers were grown at MSU using nutrient film technique which is a hydroponic system and shipped to the Indonesia project research team.

The Kenyan Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) in conjunction with the International Potato Centre (CIP) in Kenya planted late blight resistant (LBR) field trials in three locations this spring. The trials will provide key data for regulatory approval submission documents as the project moves the LBR potato closer to commercialization.

Dr. Phill Wharton (R), Disease Resistant Management Global Resource Lead for the Global Biotech Potato Partnership, along with other project personnel recently published the paper titled, "Genotypic characterization of Phytophthora infestans populations in Bangladesh" in the publication Plant Pathology. Learn more about this article in the following abbreviated abstract.

Late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, is an economically important disease of potato that causes significant yield losses, with severe outbreaks regularly occurring in Bangladesh. The objective of this study was to do a large-scale survey of potato fields in the main potato-growing divisions of Bangladesh examining genotypic diversity of P. infestans populations.

These results indicate that Bangladesh populations of P. infestans from potato, like those from neighbouring countries, are dominated by genotype EU_13_A2. However, populations from tomato were distinct and appear to be specific to the crop as late blight is also a serious disease of tomato.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service (USDA ERS) more than half of the U.S. harvested cropland in 2020 uses genetically modified seed with GM canola, corn, soybeans, cotton and sugar beets reaching over 90%. The U.S. serves as a good example for other countries looking to understand the potential of the technology.

Patatas Bravas is a hot and spicy potato tapas menu item popular in Spain.

This recipe from chef Kurt Kwiatkowski combines crispy potatoes in spicy tomato sauce and garlic mayonnaise.

Ingredients include Yukon gold potatoes, tomatoes, shallots, garlic, egg yolks, honey, vinegar, and a variety of spices including paprika, cayenne pepper, oregano, and salt and pepper.

Feed the Future is America's initiative to combat global hunger and poverty. It brings partners together to help some of the world's poorest countries harness the power of agriculture and entrepreneurship to jumpstart their economies and create new opportunities. For more information, visit www.feedthefuture.gov.

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