Interview Joost van Regteren
'A potato with zero chemistry? I don't see that happening'
All eyes in the potato sector were focused on Wageningen's Solynta in 2011 when it announced the world's first hybrid potato from seed. In 2015, interested parties could view the first variety in the field. Yet, almost a decade later, the potato is still almost always planted. Behind the scenes, the company is not standing still, as revealed in an interview with CCO Joost van Regteren.
In recent years, there has been little media coverage about Solynta. What's happening behind the scenes?
"We have grown from 20 to 100 employees. A large part of them work in R&D (breeding). Currently, the focus is on marketing. In 2023, we started selling our potato seed worldwide. We are now in our second growing season. These are not the first varieties we present, but while we used to mainly show prototypes, the current varieties are commercially viable."
Are farmers eager to start working with seed potatoes?
"A growing number of growers in twenty countries are using our seed and are positive about it. That makes us happy and of course, we are very proud. The hybrid potato from seed (TPS or True Potato Seed) is not a revolution, but an evolution. The seed potato production has a huge impact that we can reduce with this product."
What do you mean by impact?
"The current production system for seed potatoes puts a lot of pressure on the environment. You're talking about six to eight years of propagation. That requires land, water, and other inputs. Moreover, your yield and quality are not guaranteed. With potatoes from seed, you shorten this process to six months and you don't need all those hectares. In addition, we can already have access to seven or eight resistance genes against phytophthora. That is also necessary to control this disease. In traditional breeding, such a thing takes years. Traditional genetic modification or Crispr-Cas can also do that, but that technology is not allowed here. It also takes longer."
Potato seed trading houses are probably not thrilled about your innovation?
"We feel that tension, but I want to emphasize that Solynta is seeking cooperation. It can - I think - coexist alongside. We are now focusing on export destinations in Africa, Asia, and India. These are countries where potato cultivation is growing rapidly. In Europe, 'clonal propagation' will continue to exist. I can imagine that growers here also want to start clean with potatoes from seed and then still propagate these tubers traditionally. Don't forget that the well-known trading houses worldwide only have a five percent market share and are not active everywhere. This fragmented coverage also means that developing a hybrid potato does not happen as quickly. In the vegetable seeds industry (where Van Regteren previously worked at Bayer), things are different. Innovations follow each other more quickly there. It is unimaginable that we have been growing Bintje in the Netherlands for over 100 years. In the vegetable world, that is unthinkable."
So the chance that a Dutch potato grower will sow their starting material is not very high?
"The aforementioned countries are increasingly focusing on the potato as a staple food. It replaces rice, which has less nutritional value and consumes more water. The footprint of a potato is very favorable. According to FAO figures, potato cultivation is growing worldwide by 3.5 percent per year. That's not for nothing. By exporting 25 grams of seed, we replace 2,500 kilos of seed potatoes. For the sector and farmers, it is now important to acquire and share knowledge. That's why we also collaborate with Bayer. They take care of distribution in Kenya and India. They have a large network and a lot of agronomic knowledge there. At the end of July, the Kenyan NVWA, the Kephis, approved the distribution of three of our varieties."
Returning to incorporating resistances. Could this be the solution to combating phytophthora?
"With hybrid breeding, the breeding process is much faster. A potato simply does not want to genetically propagate, that is its natural property. We cracked that code in 2008 and further developed it. We now have varieties with three resistance genes built in against phytophthora, but we are also working on other resistances. Think of nematode resistance, for example. It is not as simple as it may seem. A resistance always has an impact on other traits. Think of yield, taste, and quality. Our trial varieties have not been treated this year, despite the extremely high disease pressure. In theory, it is possible, but it is not practical. By applying IPM (Integrated Pest Management) and spraying only zero to five times per season, you have a sustainable system where resistance genes are retained longer. I don't see a potato with zero chemistry happening."
You mentioned practice earlier. What varieties do you offer?
"At the moment, we only have table potato varieties in our portfolio. We breed ourselves and also collaborate with some potato processing companies to develop varieties for fries, chips, and flakes. Since 80% of all potatoes worldwide are for direct consumption, that is where our focus lies. So far, the potatoes from seed were first grown into plants and then transplanted. That is labor-intensive and adds complexity. That's why we also work with direct seeding. Compare it to growing carrots. You also sow them on 75-centimeter ridges with a precision seeder. The first weeks are crucial for the young crop. Once they are established, they grow like a traditional crop. A seeded crop is one to three weeks later than with seed potatoes, but that strongly depends on the variety and climate."
Solynta is aiming to capture market share. What is the biggest obstacle to achieving this?
"Exporting potato seed is extremely difficult at the moment. Simply because it is not on any list. A potato is a tuber, not a seed, they say. Or they ask for a sample of 5,000 kilos. That could sow the whole world! Even within the EU, exporting is surprisingly difficult. You would expect that the Netherlands, with a tradition in breeding, would welcome and support the technology. The opposite is true. The most important thing for Solynta is to do the things we do really well. It takes time, but if we fail, other companies will not continue with their development. The current breeding method is too unpredictable and erratic. With hybrid potatoes from seed, that is a thing of the past. Hybrids are a 'no-brainer' in the vegetable world. We think the same goes for potatoes."
Niels van der Boom
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