In 2012, the EU-wide AMIGA project commenced with a goal of monitoring and assessing the impact of specific GM varieties on the agri-environment. As the Irish partner in the project, Teagasc has been researching the impact of growing a GM potato engineered with late blight resistance.
The GM variety was produced at the University of Wageningen (the Netherlands) by researchers who, employing GM techniques, transferred a blight resistant gene (vnt 1.1) from the wild species Solanum venturii into the commercial variety Desiree, thereby delivering strong late-blight resistance to a previously susceptible commercial variety.
The performance of this GM Desiree variety has been demonstrated in several field studies in the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK. As partners in AMIGA, Teagasc was granted access to use this variety in consecutive field studies at Oak Park. The goal of this work is to:
• Quantify the impact of the GM potato on soil microbes (eg bacteria, fungi, worms etc).• Evaluate the application of a novel integrated pest management strategy to control blight.• Research the impact of the GM potato on Phytophthora infestans, the organism that causes blight disease itself.Critically, Teagasc is not producing GM potatoes for production or commercial purposes. Our role is to investigate the potential negative and/or positive impacts of GM technology in regard to this specific GM variety and then inform stakeholders and the general public as to conclusions drawn based on an Irish-specific research study.
The potato sector faces significant challenges in the next 10 years. Increased EU legislation will curtail the amount and type of crop protection products that farmers can use. This will be a major issue for Irish potato growers, as conventional potatoes can require 15 or more sprays per season.
In addition, for over 30 years we have monitored Irish blight populations, but in the last five years or so years we have recorded the emergence of more aggressive strains of blight (termed Blue 13 and Pink 6), some of which exhibit levels of fungicide resistance. At present, commercial farmers have no access to varieties with complete resistance to late blight and which meet quality requirements.
Breeding process
GM technology is a laboratory-based technique that accelerates the breeding process. For example, it typically takes approximately 14 years to breed a new variety using traditional practices; using GM technology a new variety could be generated in 18 weeks and ready for market in four to five years. But while it can generate varieties more quickly and in a targeted way, we need to assess and monitor the impact such varieties could have on the Irish agri-environment.
For the AMIGA project, Teagasc has completed field assessments in 2013 and 2014, with the final trial under way this year. Each year, a total of 5,274 plants are planted, split across three potato varieties: the GM Desiree, the non-GM Desiree and Sarpo Mira. Whereas the GM Desiree is equipped with a single wild potato R gene, a recent research study indicates that Sarpo Mira, a variety favoured by organic growers, may contain up to five wild potato R genes.
The blight resistance of Sarpo Mira is well known, but the variety’s eating and processing qualities are not readily accepted by the market. For this study, Sarpo Mira is being included so that we can compare the impact of a traditionally bred and GM resistant variety.
In early to mid-2016, project results will be sent for independent scientific peer review and communicated directly to the public once published. From the onset of this project, we have committed to an active programme of engagement with community groups, stakeholders and the general public through print, radio, TV and online media.
To date, we have participated in more than 80 dissemination/communication events with local, national and international media outlets and also through public debates. You are welcome to view the experiments at Crops and Spraying 2015 and discuss the issues with the researchers running the project.
In 2012, the EU-wide AMIGA project commenced with a goal of monitoring and assessing the impact of specific GM varieties on the agri-environment. As the Irish partner in the project, Teagasc has been researching the impact of growing a GM potato engineered with late blight resistance.
The GM variety was produced at the University of Wageningen (the Netherlands) by researchers who, employing GM techniques, transferred a blight resistant gene (vnt 1.1) from the wild species Solanum venturii into the commercial variety Desiree, thereby delivering strong late-blight resistance to a previously susceptible commercial variety.
The performance of this GM Desiree variety has been demonstrated in several field studies in the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK. As partners in AMIGA, Teagasc was granted access to use this variety in consecutive field studies at Oak Park. The goal of this work is to:
• Quantify the impact of the GM potato on soil microbes (eg bacteria, fungi, worms etc).• Evaluate the application of a novel integrated pest management strategy to control blight.• Research the impact of the GM potato on Phytophthora infestans, the organism that causes blight disease itself.Critically, Teagasc is not producing GM potatoes for production or commercial purposes. Our role is to investigate the potential negative and/or positive impacts of GM technology in regard to this specific GM variety and then inform stakeholders and the general public as to conclusions drawn based on an Irish-specific research study.
The potato sector faces significant challenges in the next 10 years. Increased EU legislation will curtail the amount and type of crop protection products that farmers can use. This will be a major issue for Irish potato growers, as conventional potatoes can require 15 or more sprays per season.
In addition, for over 30 years we have monitored Irish blight populations, but in the last five years or so years we have recorded the emergence of more aggressive strains of blight (termed Blue 13 and Pink 6), some of which exhibit levels of fungicide resistance. At present, commercial farmers have no access to varieties with complete resistance to late blight and which meet quality requirements.
Breeding process
GM technology is a laboratory-based technique that accelerates the breeding process. For example, it typically takes approximately 14 years to breed a new variety using traditional practices; using GM technology a new variety could be generated in 18 weeks and ready for market in four to five years. But while it can generate varieties more quickly and in a targeted way, we need to assess and monitor the impact such varieties could have on the Irish agri-environment.
For the AMIGA project, Teagasc has completed field assessments in 2013 and 2014, with the final trial under way this year. Each year, a total of 5,274 plants are planted, split across three potato varieties: the GM Desiree, the non-GM Desiree and Sarpo Mira. Whereas the GM Desiree is equipped with a single wild potato R gene, a recent research study indicates that Sarpo Mira, a variety favoured by organic growers, may contain up to five wild potato R genes.
The blight resistance of Sarpo Mira is well known, but the variety’s eating and processing qualities are not readily accepted by the market. For this study, Sarpo Mira is being included so that we can compare the impact of a traditionally bred and GM resistant variety.
In early to mid-2016, project results will be sent for independent scientific peer review and communicated directly to the public once published. From the onset of this project, we have committed to an active programme of engagement with community groups, stakeholders and the general public through print, radio, TV and online media.
To date, we have participated in more than 80 dissemination/communication events with local, national and international media outlets and also through public debates. You are welcome to view the experiments at Crops and Spraying 2015 and discuss the issues with the researchers running the project.
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