GMO Potatoes

GMO Potatoes. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Line On Agriculture.

A big topic at this year’s Potato Expo in San Antonio was the release of Simplot’s Innate technology for potatoes. During one of the Expo sessions Joe Guenthner from the University of Idaho discussed the benefits of Innate.

GUENTHNER: So what are some of the attributes of these Innate potatoes? Maintaining the yield for these Rangers, Russet Burbank’s, Atlantic’s. So there’s no yield sacrifice. maybe a yield bump. Bruising and acrylamide; both much lower. Those are the great attributes of Innate 1.0, the first product to hit the market. Almost 50% less bruising for Burbank’s. A third less bruising for Rangers. Acrylamide levels much, much lower.

Acrylamide is an undesirable chemical compound that occurs when some foods like potatoes are are heated. Guenthner calls these consumer driven attributes.

GUENTHNER: The next Innate 2.0 - what are some of the attributes? Some of the economic research I have done have shown that late blight is the most costly pest around the world. Zebra chip is right up there with it so wouldn’t it be nice to have a potato that protects itself from those two diseases? Innate 2.0.

Tomorrow we will look more at what Simplot’s Innate has to offer potato growers with Joe Guenthner and Snake River Sugar Companies, Duane Grant.

That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.