b'The Future Of Diploid PotatoesAlyssa Green,Research Communications, Potatoes USAAnewmovementishappeninginbeen studying the genetic processes the potato industry: simplifying theofmovingfromtetraploids(four potato genome. Growers around thechromosomes)todiploids(two countryhaveexperiencedthechromosomes) and are making sig-effectsofunpredictableweather,nificantprogress.Inthefirstfour which impacts production and prof- years,theteamgearedupforand itability, and consumers continuallyexecutedatrialwithdiploidpota-shift their wants, requiring changestoes to measure, evaluate, and opti-frompotatoprocessors.Thesemizetheprocess.Inthefifthand uncontrollable factors explain whyfinalyearoftheproject,theteam breeding is important. The industrywill continue to develop a breeding has a team of 11 individuals fromsystem that is responsive to grower seveninstitutionsandUSDAsandmarketneedswhileputting Agricultural Research Service (ARS),effort into market traits to compete A US Potatoesdedicatedtoincreasingthelikeli- with traditional tetraploid lines.hoodofgeneticimprovement through a project known as PotatoDiploidpotatoesarenotanovel 2.0, and education about diploids toconcept.ChinaandEuropehave increasethelikelihoodofgrowerengaged in their own diploid potatoMessageadoption.experiments.Withenvironmental changes, its universally understood Genetics are largely responsible forthatoptimizingcontrolinthe thebreedingdifficultiesassociatedbreeding process must happen. withpotatoes.Whilemanycrops holdtwocopiesofchromosomes,Growerswillexperienceadditional potatoes astoundingly contain fourbenefits from genetically simplified copies, disrupting what most peoplepotatoessuchasdiseaseresistance knowandunderstandabouttheandotherqualitytraits.Moving fundamentals of genetics. The addi- fromfourtotwochromosomes tional set of chromosomes leads toincreases the probability of desired slow and meticulous breeding prac- varietiesandultimatelyimproves tices.Tosimplifythebreedingprofitability for growers and proces-process,ateamofresearchershassors. For example, genes have been 6 POTATO GROWER FEBRUARY 2023'