An international public-private partnership is developing late pest-resistant transgenic potatoes, which destroy snares between a quarter and a half of the crop, for farmers in Bangladesh and Indonesia. Field trials showed results of complete resistance to the pathogen and its release in the field is expected to reduce fungicide application by 90%.

Researchers this year will test genetically modified potatoes in Bangladesh and Indonesia in hopes of offering farmers an alternative to spraying fungicides. Several field trials confined with refiring-resistant transgenic potatoes (LBR) will be conducted in both countries as part of the "Feed the Future World Biotech Potato Association".

Potatoes are one of the most important crops in Indonesia and Bangladesh. Indonesia produces about 1.3 million metric tons of potatoes per year, while tubers are the third largest food crop after rice and wheat in Bangladesh. But the burning is a serious problem in both countries, which destroys between 25 and 57% of the harvest.

Unlike other pathogens, late plague – or Phytophthora infestans – can be difficult to control when it appears and farmers can actually see it, said Janet Fierro, global leader of communication and advocacy resources at the World Potato Association. For this reason, farmers begin to spray fungicides very early in the crop cycle to prevent the appearance of the fungus. In some cases, Indonesian farmers spray 20 to 30 times during the growing season, which can last from 75 to 160 days.

Source: Agrolink