In East Lansing, Michigan, researchers have been working for decades to develop potatoes that are ideal for making chips. These potatoes need to grow in various climates, resist diseases, and maintain their quality in storage. David Douches, a professor at Michigan State University, has created five new potato varieties in the past 15 years, including a bioengineered potato that stays fresh in cold storage. His work supports both global food security and the U.S. potato chip industry, particularly in Michigan, which leads the nation in chip potato production. The National Chip Program, a collaboration of universities, growers, and the USDA, evaluates hundreds of new potato varieties annually. This partnership between researchers and chip companies is unique, allowing for the development of potatoes that meet specific industry needs. Breeding new potatoes is complex due to their genetic structure, which makes predicting traits challenging.
QUESTION: How might advancements in potato breeding impact the future of food production and sustainability?
Researchers have spent decades breeding better potatoes for chips, and their work isn’t done
