Our disease resistance traits
Late Blight
Phytophthora infestans
resistance
Managing late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, costs ~£55M/y in the UK and at least ~$5B/y worldwide.
Our products will be shielded from late blight infection by multiple resistances from the potato gene pool, to provide long-lasting late blight protection.
Potato Viruses
Potato Virus Y (PVY) & Potato Leaf Roll Virus (PLRV) resistance
PVY and PRLV are aphid-transmitted viruses that reduce potato yields and infect seed potatoes, which leads to their rejection.
Our resistant products will support seed potato production in England, reducing the carbon footprint associated with transport from Scotland.
Varietal development for England, Wales and (eventually) beyond
We have begun with two varieties, the popular Maris Piper (~15% of UK potato production) and the salad variety Charlotte. These are no longer protected by Plant Varieties Rights. In the future, we will deploy the traits in other varieties, including varieties that can be used for crisp production. Our products will be compatible with the Precision Breeding Act (PBA).
The devolved Scottish authority currently has not ratified the PBA and prefers to maintain its alignment with EU rules. However, if the EU enacts regulations similar to the PBA, our virus- and blight- resistant potato varieties could be grown in the EU and in Scotland.
Varietal pipeline
Future disease resistance and tuber quality traits
We will use methods compatible with the Precision Breeding Act to address the following issues:
Potato cyst nematodes
Potato cyst nematodes (eelworms) reduce potato yields and once in commercial soils are hard to eradicate; this is becoming a critical challenge to potato production, especially as nematicides are being withdrawn from use.
Blackleg
A bacterial potato disease that causes black rotting at the stem base, resulting in stunted growth and yellowing stems.
Bruise damage
Bruise-damaged potatoes are rejected by processors and packers and cold-stored potatoes gradually accumulate the reducing sugars glucose and fructose, which can form harmful compounds when cooked at high temperatures. We can addressed both problems with gene editing.