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.

Feed the Future Global Biotech Potato Partnership welcomes two new team members.

Rob Potter will head regulatory activities as the Regulatory Global Resource Lead. Rob has a Ph.D. from Rothamsted Experimental Station and over 35 years of experience in agricultural biotechnology research and development working in six countries on three continents. For the past 17 years as a consultant, this work has focused on regulatory approval of modified crops, as well as development of regulatory systems in a number of African and Asian countries. During this time, he has submitted successful dossier in a range of crop species in North America, including late-blight tolerant potato lines in Canada. In addition, Rob was employed as the Technology Coordinator for the USAID-funded ABSPII project at Cornell University during which time a previous late-blight tolerant potato was evaluated.

Another new team additon as the Seed Sector and Stewardship Global Resource Lead is Monica Parker. Dr. Parker brings greater than 15 years  experience in agriculture and food systems development collaborating with  governments, and public, private, community and farmer institutions. She has supported potato sector development in greater than 10 countries throughout Africa and the Middle East. With a major focus on seed system development and quality assurance, she has advised governments and public institutions on seed system development and seed quality assurance, and technically backstopped small to large scale seed businesses in seed production and business. Originating from Canada, she completed her MSc from Simon Fraser University and Ph.D. from the University of Guelph, both in Plant Pathology.

Welcome Rob and Monica!

The Global Biotech Potato Partnership participated in the 2023 Australasian Plant Pathology Society Conference held in Adelaide, Australia November 20-24.

The theme of the event, "Change and Adaptation" highlighted the adaptation of plant pathogens and also how new innovations are being used for disease control.

Dr. Phil Wharton and Dr. Most Mahbuba Begum presented a poster on their publication, "Genotypic characterization of Phytophthora infestans populations in Bangladesh" which details the results of a large-scale survey of potato fields in the main potato-growing divisions of Bangladesh examining genotypic diversity of P. infestans populations.

Dr. Begum is a plant pathologist in the Tuber Crops and Research Center at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (TCRC-BARI). Dr. Begum leads pathology efforts for the Global Biotech Potato Partnership in Bangladesh.

Dr. Wharton is an Associate Professor a the University of Idaho who studies the biology and host-pathogen interactions of fungal diseases on potatoes and etiology and epidemiology of potato diseases. Wharton serves as the Global Resource Lead on Pathology for the Global Biotech Potato Partnership.

The Global Biotech Potato Partnership recently held an expert elicitation workshop in Bangladesh. Objectives of the workshop were to present the late blight resistant biotech potato to potato value chain stakeholders, estimating potato variety data, and estimating adoption and curve of potato varieties as measured by by the percentage of potato area harvested.

The group discussed variety data including production area, yield, late blight occurrence and severity, fungicide use, farm gate prices.

Detailed results of the workshop will be provided in the study 'Ex Ante Economic Impact Assessment of Late Blight Resistant Biotech Potatoes in Bangladesh' to be forthcoming.

Collection of data for regulatory submission is the most important part of the 3R-gene late bllight resistant confined field trials ongoing in all partner countries of the Global Biotech Potato Partnership.

A workshop was recently held in Tosari, Indonesia to train trial workers on the proper procedures and guidelines for conducting these field trials for the Granola variety of the late blight resistant potato. Granola is the farmer preferred variety in Indonesia.

The project is currently under the confined field trial research phase in which key data will be collected and compiled for submission to the Indonesian biotechnology regulatory authorities for eventual commercialization and release to smallholder farmers throughout Indonesia.

The training was led the Global Biotech Potato Partnership Indonesian research team comprised of members from the Research Center for Horticultural and Estate Crops (RCHEC) of the Research Organization for Agriculture and Food (ROAF-BRIN) and the Research Center for Genetic Engineering (RCGE) of the Research Organization for Life Sciences and Environment (ROLSE-BRIN).

A consultation of stakeholders including members of the Kenyan National Biosafety Authority recently visited on going field trials of the 3R-gene late blight resistant potato in Kenya.

Led by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) and the International Potato Centre (CIP) the field trials are collecting data on the potato which is estimated to reduce fungicide application by 90% as it is fully resistant to late blight disease. Late blight is the most serious of all potato diseases and can completely destroy an entire crop in weeks.

The biosafety regulators expressed satisfaction on their observance of the trial as it relates to compliance and management. To learn more hear from Dr. Roy Mugira in this short video.

Over 40 participants including farmers and researchers attended the Brown Field Day in Kuru near Jos in Nigeria.

The event provided an opportunity for the attendees to view first-hand the yield of the late blight disease resistant potato under research in Nigeria by the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) and the Intenational Potato Center (CIP) as part of the Feed the Future Global Biotech Potato Partnership. The event was organized by project partner the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF).

During the event, potato farmer Isaih Buwah shared his thoughts, “what I am seeing is salvation coming to potato farmers on the Plateau. I am happy it is happening in my lifetime. We have seriously suffered from the impact of late blight to the extent that some of our colleagues suffered seriously because of the massive destruction and losses we have encountered yearly. Those of us still growing potatoes have done so as a labour of love.”

For more on the event read the blog, Celebration as Nigeria harvests first batch of biotech-potatoes.

BLOGS

AATF

Kataru Concepts Africa

Kataru Concepts Africa

ARTICLES

Daily Observer - Bangladesh

Nation - Kenya Edition

Nigerian Tribune - Nigeria

Potluck potatoes are a true comfort food. This recipe from Potatoes USA bakes into a creamy and cheesy casserole with a crunch!

Cubed potatoes, condensed soup, butter, sour cream, and cheese combine for a delightful flavor sensation while corn flakes add the cruch.

According to the website they are, "simple, delicious, and a potato lovers dream."

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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