ADAPT - Accelerated Development of multiple-stress tolerAnt PoTato

Project description

The potato is one of the world's most important food crops. The plant reacts to heat and drought as well as flooding events with high yield losses. These situations are becoming increasingly common due to the climate crisis and pose a serious threat to potato yield security. ADAPT provided basic knowledge about the potato's reactions to these stress factors, especially when they occur in combination.

ADAPT investigated molecular and phenotypic responses of potatoes to stress factors such as heat, drought or flooding of the growing area. The reactions of the potato to the various stress factors were determined in detail using a variety of modern methods. The analysis of the results showed which factors influence tuber formation. The reactions of different potato varieties to environmental stress were analysed in field trials. The findings provided important insights for future research approaches that will support researchers and breeders in identifying tolerant potato varieties. ADAPT provides a comprehensive overview of the diverse response mechanisms to stress factors and shows how potato varieties can be adapted to the different environmental conditions in Europe.

Results

In cooperation with all project partners, a perception survey for European farmers was developed under our leadership. The survey was available online from December 2020 to April 2021. A total of 553 potato farmers from 22 countries took part in the survey. Almost 90% of respondents stated that climatic changes had affected their potato production in the last ten years. In addition, almost 50% of respondents identified climatic changes as a threat to maintaining potato production on their farm. More than 80% of potato growers confirmed that drought and heat have increasingly affected their potato production over the last 10 years. The preferred adaptation measure was the cultivation of adapted varieties. The numerous responses from Austria, Germany and Switzerland made it possible to analyse the situation in the DACH region in detail. Here too, 98% of German respondents and more than 90% of Swiss and Austrian respondents confirmed the negative impact of climate change on potato production. The biggest problem was drought, followed by heat and the occurrence of pests and pathogens. Austria was most affected by drought, exacerbated by comparatively low access to at least partial irrigation. Other major challenges faced by Austrian farmers were late frost in spring, flash flooding and soil erosion. A closer look revealed differences between the countries and between conventional and organic potato production. This emphasises that effective climate change adaptation strategies must take into account country-specific and local challenges and needs.

Our field trials provided valuable insights into potato yield formation under Austrian growing conditions. Irrigation can increase the yield in dry areas, but this in turn can affect the quality and thus the marketable yield. Tuber set tests revealed differences in yield formation between potato varieties. The behaviour of the varieties was described in detail with the help of modern technologies such as monitoring the crops using drones and environmental sensors. The Austrian field trials were comprehensively analysed together with those in the Netherlands, Serbia and Spain. One aim was to predict the yield at an early stage. This helps in the breeding of resistant potato varieties and is a promising approach to characterising varieties. Ultimately, the complex interplay of environmental factors and variety leads to a reliable yield even under adverse conditions. The next few years should confirm the findings, which can only be achieved in field trials over several years.

Thanks to the unique composition of the ADAPT consortium, the diverse influencing factors could be comprehensively analysed using state-of-the-art approaches. At the end of four years of intensive research, the results of ADAPT provided important findings that represent milestones in the development of climate change-adapted potatoes for both breeding and basic research. It is planned to continue the promising research in further projects.

Benefits of the project

We led a work package aimed at the concrete utilisation of the findings in practice and the target group-oriented presentation and dissemination of the results. The survey of farmers showed how important research into more tolerant potato varieties is. Through the knowledge gained, the project contributes to food security, as the potato is one of the most important agricultural crops. Our field trials provided us with insights into the reactions of different varieties under stress conditions and gave us a gain in expertise regarding the assessment of abiotic factors in variety testing. Although there are no easy answers to climate change-related challenges, the results of ADAPT showed which factors can support the faster and more efficient development of stress-tolerant potato varieties. The findings on the application of new technologies for yield prediction form a stable basis for enabling high-yield potato cultivation even in times of climate crisis. The results are therefore valuable for breeders, advisors, stakeholders, farmers and consumers.