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WERA_OLD027: Potato Variety Development

Annual/Termination Reports (SAES-422): [05/23/2002] [03/06/2003] [03/15/2004] [02/02/2005]

Date of Annual Report: 05/23/2002

Report Information:
  • Annual Meeting Dates: 01/25/02 to 01/25/02
  • Period the Report Covers: 01/2001 to 12/2001

    • Participants:

    URL: Copy of participant list
    Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting:


    URL: Copy of minutes

    Accomplishments:
    This committee continues to function in an exemplary way. Their task is to replace Russet Burbank with varieties that have superior characteristics for processing and for fresh market. They use the expertise in each state to develop the new varieties. This year the committee released varieties for processing, fresh market, chipping and specialty.

    Attendance at meetings continues to include state scientists and technicians, ARS scientists and technicians and the private sector. The private sector includes processors, seed growers, growers, and marketing specialists. Communications are good between all attending.
    New web sites have been developed in all of the states and organizations participating in the multi-state activity. The information provided includes the actions of WCC-27, the Tri-state committee, the characteristics of the lines being tested, processing qualities, best production practices, return on investment if a grower chooses to use one of the newly developed varieties and databases with a large complement of information, including pictures. These sites can be accessed through individual states or through the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station web site.

    Impact Statements:
    1. The named varieties are: Gem Russet, IdaRose, Klamath Russet, Russet Legend, Mazama, and Winema.
    2. Economic analysis of the potato varieties tested are located at http://www.wsu.edu/~fullern/
    Last Modified: unknown

    Date of Annual Report: 03/06/2003

    Report Information:
  • Annual Meeting Dates: 02/07/03 to 02/07/03
  • Period the Report Covers: 01/2002 to 12/2002

    • Participants:
    Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting:


    URL: Copy of minutes

    Accomplishments:
    This committee continues to function effectively and is expanding its research and evaluation of new potato variety improvements. The Washington scientists have extended their testing to include production of organically grown potatoes. This requires evaluation of non-traditional fertilizers and pest control. Given the sensitivity to nitrogen fertilizer, retesting of varieties to such things as compost and organic fertilizers must be done. The economic analysis of organically grown potatoes was done and the results suggest that net return per acre of the best organically grown potato variety was $700 per acre while the same variety grown under standard production practices was $1200 per acre. At the present time there is no premium for organically grown potatoes in the market place.

    Current accessions being tested show economic ranges, using current cultivation procedures, are from a loss of $400 per acre to a maximum of plus $1200 per acre. All tested accessions (12) plus two checks (Russet Norkotah and Ranger Russet) out yielded Russet Burbank. Eight accessions were released as named varieties this past year. These included five processing Russets, one chipper, one Red and one non-Russet white.

    One Aberdeen produced clone and 22 clones out of Colorado exhibited high levels of Late Blight resistence. Testing was initiated for anti-oxident content this year. Initial data show ranges from 171.8 5g/gfw2 to 758.8 5g/gfw2 with Russet Burbank having 596.7 5g/gfw2. Measurement of Vitamin C content ranged from 167.9 to 741.45g/gfw3 with Russet Burbank at 583.

    WCC-027 committee members published 12 refereed journal articles related to Multi-state activities.

    This project is a classical example of what can be done by cooperating states that could not be done by any one state individually. This cooperative effort includes scientists from the states, the federal government, and producers from the private sector. Attendance is very high and constant regardless of the location. Thirty three attended this years meeting, 7 federal, 20 state and 5 private industry.

    Impact Statements:
    1. The impact of this project on Northwest potato production through the release of new varieties that provided advantages of disease resistance, productivity, production efficiency, and tuber quality was to add $135 million to the value of the potato industry each year.
    Last Modified: unknown

    Date of Annual Report: 03/15/2004

    Report Information:
  • Annual Meeting Dates: 02/09/04 to 02/09/04
  • Period the Report Covers: 01/2003 to 12/2003

    • Participants:
    Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting:

    URL: Copy of minutes
    Accomplishments:
    During the past year the states involved in the WCC27 Potato Variety Improvement multi state Coordinating Committee have release 13 new named varieties, including 2 long whites, 6 redskinned, 4 russets and 4 chippers. Work from past research has resulted in major inroads into the Russet Burbank production. Ranger Russet is now the 3rd leading variety grown nationally while Alturis is ranked 7th in the nation.

    The WCC27 scientists have developed a Western Regional Potato Variety database that contains a robust amount of data associated with the project including pictures of many aspects of the program. During the past year the database was hacked into and as a result there is a current effort underway to reestablish the database and it should be back in operation later this year

    Approximately 150,000 first year seedlings were produced last year in the program. From these about 1000 selections were made for further evaluation. Other first year selections were received from across the county for consideration in the WCC program. Plant Variety Protection has been sought by Texas for two strains of Texas Russet Norkotah.

    A yield record was set in Texas with Russet potatoes at 400 CWT/acre.

    WCC27 produced booklets containing data on Russets, Red skinned, and specialy colored lines. Those booklets of a great interest to the potato processors.

    The regional trials for the coming year will contain 16 numbered enteries and 4 checks in the Russet category, 6 entries and 3 checks in the Red skinned category and 15 numbered entries and 4 checks in the specialty colored flesh catergory.

    Three varieties were entered into the National Trials, Stampede Russet and the numbered lines A-9014-2 and A93157-6LS.

    Field days are held in most of the participating states for growers and processors to evaluate the new materials in the program.

    The Clovis, New Mexico site has been eliminated from the MRRP due to lack of support from the state.

    Committee members will continue to work on improving potato quality, understanding and incorporating reesistance to disease, improving nutritional quality and increased yields.

    Impact Statements:
    1. Fresh market, french fry processors and chippers have incorporated new varieties into their businesses.
    2. Russet Ranger has become the 3rd leading variety grown in the United States while Alturis is now the 7th leading variety grown.
    3. Growers can now select from varieities with higher vitramin C content, lower glycoalkaloids, higher yields, higher specific gravity and better cooking characteristics.
    4. Specialty colored fleshed potatoes will gives the consumer a braoder selection of potatoes to brighten up the plate.
    5. Data are being collected for organic potato growers in the Northwest. These trials will give good comparrisons on disease pressure on potatoes grown using standard practices.
    Last Modified: unknown

    Date of Annual Report: 02/02/2005

    Report Information:
  • Annual Meeting Dates: 01/26/05 to 01/26/05
  • Period the Report Covers: 01/2004 to 12/2004

    • Participants:
    Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting:

    URL: Copy of minutes
    Accomplishments:
    This committee continues to perform in an outstanding manner. The committee attendance remains high and is composed of state researchers, extension specialists, federal ARS scientists and private sector participants and visitors. Thirty six attended the meetings this year in Portland. The nature of the work is such that different states perform many unique components of the efforts while all states participate in the field trials to give the potential new culitvars a solid test in different state environments and growing seasons.

    During the past year work by individual states resulted in the release of Colorado Russet, Rio Grand Russet, Fremont Russet, Durango Red and Colorado Rose by Colorado. Two other selections are showing promise and will likely be released during the next year. They are both colored flesh selections. Idaho released GemStar Russet. Texas is pursuing PVP for Sierra Gold and was granted PVP on the selection TXNS296. Texas reports the highest summer yield of Russet potatoes at 420 CWT/Acre.

    Poor growing season conditions negatively impacted the ability of this group to make the usual progress. There have also been a number of retirements and reassignments that will cause some redirection in the multi state project. Even given those conditions the work moves forward as several hundred thousand crosses were made and the evaluation begins again for new selections to help bolster the potato industry in the United States.

    A new emphasis for this group is to expand the economic impact studies of the program to states beyond Washington, Oregon and Idaho. This expansion will give a much clear picture of the economic value of potato variety improvement research.

    The intent of this committee was to find a replacement for Russet Burbank. They have accomplished that goal and now continue their work to improve the russet potato while at the same time moving into other areas like the fresh market and now even looking at salad potatoes and different flesh colored lines.

    As the AA to this group, I strongly endorse their continuing activity as they personify the reason for the existence of multi state research and education.

    Impact Statements:
    1. Economic Impacts will be determined in states other than Idaho, Oregon and Washington among those states that currently work on the committee. New potato lines will be available outside of Russet Burbank, such as color flesh varieties.
    2. New products like salad potatoes will be available to growers and consumers.
    3. Potato lines with lower glycoalkaloids and higher vitamin C are being developed.
    Last Modified: unknown
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