b'In It For The Long HaulIn A World Increasingly Obsessed With Speed, Could Patient Still Win The Race?John Lundeen, Research Director andBen Harris, Research Associate Manager, Potatoes USAAswewritethis,thereisatruck Of the 23 projects awarded, two fea-somewherebetweenAberdeen, ture spuds, and both are groundedIdahoandEastGrandForks, intried-and-trueapproaches.TheMinnesota,barrelingdownthe first,ledbyplantpathologistDr.highwaywithpotatoesonboard. AlexanderKarasevfromtheBut these are no ordinary potatoes. University of Idaho, received $5.7 MTheybelongtotheNationalFry to combat potato virus y (PVY) andProcessorsTrials(NFPT),bornin potatomop-topvirus(PMTV)2011toenhancevarietydevelop- through improved diagnostic, man-menta process that, like the 1,066 agement,andmodeling.ProjectsmilesthatseparateAberdeenand likeKarasevsrequireawillingnessEastGrandForks,isalong-haul. to wait, as findings gradually accu-USA PotatoesComing up with a new potato vari- mulate over several years. etyisanexerciseinpatience,asharp contrast to the frenetic pace In all honesty, exponential scienceof other research activity. In August, soundsexciting.ItistheR&Dforinstance,theDepartmentof equivalentofgettingbehindtheMessageAgricultureandtheNational wheelofaBugatti.Buttheincre-Science Foundation unveiled a fleet mentalgainsthatoccurovera5-ofnewresearchcentersthatwill year National Institute of Food andapplytechnologieslikeartificial Agriculture(NIFA)projectshouldintelligence (AI) and machine learn- notbeunderestimated.Dr.Jeffingtothefarm.Withsomuch Endelman, the lead for a SCRI ven-emphasisonventurecapitalsbias ture with its sights set on breeding atowardspeed,slickhardware,and, better diploid potatoat some pointof course, software, there is the risk downtheroad,knowsthelongthat lower profile, traditional sci- game well. Along with driving theence could go overlooked. Potato2.0push,Endelmanisservingasco-projectdirectorforItwasfantastictoseesupportfor another SCRI proposal that earnedfoundationalpotatoresearchreaf- fundinginSeptember.Thestudyfirmedinthe2020SpecialtyCrop brings together a mix of crops thatResearchInitiative(SCRI)funding. do not normally appear together in6 POTATO GROWER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020'