BSF project "Marker assisted selection for potato germplasm adapted to biotic and abiotic stresses caused by global climate change"

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) ranks as the world's third most important food crop, after wheat and rice, and provides a significant contribution to the global food supply as well as playing a key role for food security and subsistence of Peruvian and Ecuadorian Andean smallholders. The extreme temperatures, drought and flooding brought about by climate change are affecting the Andean potato diversity and cause harvest losses up to 100%. New and changed pathogens are threatening to exacerbate these issues. This Benefit-sharing project is contributing to the development of new potato cultivars adapted to these biotic and abiotic stresses. By evaluating potato varieties, identifying candidate genes, and developing molecular markers and models for marker-assisted selection (MAS), this project is accelerating the breeding of improved and adapted potato cultivars for sustainable agriculture.