The establishment of a National Potato Innovation Centre (NPIC) at The James Hutton Institute in Scotland was announced earlier this year. The NPIC will involve the whole industry working together to deliver new improvements to potato production.
The centre will comprise a state-of-the art-innovation hub that will work in partnership with all stakeholders. Based in Scotland, but with national and international partners, NPIC will generate a creative cluster to create new varieties, more sustainable solutions, innovative products and high skilled jobs in new industries.
Prof Ian Toth at The James Hutton Institute recently took on the role of Director of the NPIC. He stated: “In an era marked by escalating food security concerns, potatoes emerge as a beacon of hope. Many nations rely on potato as a major food source with those such as China and India, as well as regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, integrating potatoes into their strategic blueprints to ensure a consistent and sustainable supply of nutritious food. The imperatives of climate change and biodiversity conservation necessitate the rapid development of crop varieties that are both resilient and sustainable. Potatoes, with their inherent adaptability, are primed to lead this agricultural transformation.”
Prof Toth says “While the details of our research will be determined through discussion with industry, we will focus on three main pillars of research. The first of these will be discovery and breeding, using modern techniques to exploit the rich genetic diversity we have in the Commonwealth Potato Collection. We will further develop resilient production systems through improved management systems to help protect the environment and optimise production in a changing world. Lastly, we will investigate alternative potato products from plant-based proteins and plastics through to novel products for use in medicine or cosmetics industry.”
Source: potatonewstoday.com