RESEARCH TO BE CARRIED OUT ON POTATO PLANTS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 60, 7 November 1949, Page 6

RESEARCH TO BE CARRIED OUT ON POTATO PLANTS

Potato harvests show considerable fluctuations from year to year, largely because of disease and drought, and effects of it are usually noticed in the Bay of Plenty by break in supplies. Research has for its objective the production of a good-quality variety of potato, resistant to diseases, and suited to New Zealand soils and climate. Investigations into the variations of vitamin content are also to be maple. Primarily concerned with the breeding for' resistance to lateblight and virus diseases, the research workers will increase seedling stocks and disease-resisting varieties in insect-proof glasshouses, and tests these in the main experimental plots at Lincoln, and also at various centres in both Islands.

Varieties Imported Varieties that have proved resistant overseas are being imported, well-known New Zealand varieties —such as Dakota and Aficklander Short Top—will be grown 'under test conditions, and suitable varieties will be cross-pollinated. By using disease-resisting types from overseas it is hoped that new varieties will be available for distribution in abput half the 12 to 20 years it would take to breed new varieties from the wild potato species.

The seed potato certification scheme in New Zealand has achieved adequate control of the severe virus diseases—leaf-roll, and severe mosaic—but it has left uncontrolled the mild mosaic virus that cannot be identified during the field inspection, and which materially affects the yield. Control can be achieved only by selecting healthy plants from laboratory tests, and growing them away from all sources of infection.

Frost Resistant The breeding of ■ varieties that are also resistant to frost, scab, and drought, is a further development of the research programme; and the qualities of the best New Zealand varieties are to be maintained.

The potato is an important source of vitamin C, and research Workers have shown that the variation in vitaman content is sometimes dependent on the variety, sometimes onithe locality in which it is grown, and sometimes on the period it is held in storage. Tests are to be made with 20 varieties grown in experimental plots; the tubers will be analysed at harvesting and periodically for some months after har-' vesting; and for these tests trial plots of all varieties will be grown at Lincoln, Auckland, Palmei ston North and Gore.