Cadmium-resistant potato developed in NZ

A new line of potatoes have been developed in New Zealand by University of Canterbury researchers. The potatoes are potentially resistant to cadmium, a highly toxic metal found in soil which is harmful to crops and can contribute to health issues in humans.

Biotechnology lecturer Dr Leung says that their potatoes have a trait that could solve this problem and enhance New Zealand’s best potato varieties. “New Zealand growers are competing with growers from all over the world. Imagine the difference that adding a cadmium-resistant trait could have on the market for our potatoes. It could certainly give our crops a marketing edge,” he says.

Usually potatoes accumulate cadmium from soil. This has negative effects on the quality of the crop and also means that the cadmium, a known carcinogen, is passed onto the consumer. Over time this can contribute to health issues, including cancer.

Dr Leung and Dr Ashrafzadeh have discovered new new potato by exposing potato cells to the toxin and monitoring cells for damage. The cells that survive the process may have natural mutations that make them resistant to cadmium exposure. These cells are then grown into potato plants for further testing.

“Stress is a principle that causes plants to slowly change over time. We are using stress in a lab context to push plants to evolve. We’re effectively helping them to develop a natural advantage faster,” said plant biotechnologist Dr Ashrafzadeh.

The next phase of testing will involve growing potato plants in contaminated soil to discover how cadmium-resistant they are and determine their cadmium accumulation potential in a real world situation.

Source: potatopro.com