Swedish researchers leverage tech to enhance potato resilience

SWEDEN – Researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences have made a significant breakthrough in enhancing potato crop resilience using CRISPR/Cas9 technology.

This advancement could have a major impact on sustainable agriculture and food security.

By modifying the StDMR6-1 gene in potatoes, scientists have developed plants with increased resistance to various diseases and environmental stressors.

This includes heightened resistance to late blight, a major threat to potato crops, as well as improved tolerance to drought and salinity.

“Our research on the StDMR6-1 mutants is set to transform potato cultivation,” said Erik Andreasson, the lead author of the study.

“It offers a line of defense against climate change and evolving pathogen threats, ensuring our food supply for future generations.”

This innovative approach not only enhances the durability of potatoes but also reduces the need for fungicides, promoting more sustainable farming practices.

The findings, published in Horticulture Research, provide a new framework for boosting crop resilience, which could be applied to other crops as well.

New insights into potato-pathogen dynamics

In a related development, researchers at North Carolina State University have gained valuable insights into the interaction between potato plants and the pathogen Phytophthora infestans, known for causing late blight.

Through advanced DNA sequencing technology, the team examined both the pathogen’s effector genes and the plant’s resistance genes simultaneously. This approach offers a fresh perspective on how the pathogen overcomes plant defenses.

“We used targeted enrichment sequencing to isolate specific DNA regions from infected potato leaves and other sources,” explained Allison Coomber, a graduate student researcher at NC State. “This method helps us locate resistance genes in the host and effector genes in the pathogen.”

Jean Ristaino, the William Neal Reynolds Professor of Plant Pathology at NC State, emphasized the significance of this dual-enrichment method.

“Previously, researchers focused on either the pathogen or the plant separately. Our approach allows us to capture targeted regions from both genomes, something that wasn’t feasible 15 years ago due to earlier limitations in genome sequencing technology.”