Breeding potatoes for resistance to blight and Colorado potato beetle is the first project of the Open Plant Breeding Foundation. OPBF maintains a bank of true potato seeds, which you are welcome to plant out in a field trial. Even a small plot of potato plants can help our breeding efforts to progress. In simplest terms, the method is as follows:
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Plant the potato seeds with about a 2" spacing.
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As the potato plants grow, they can be thinned to around one per foot.
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Allow any pests and diseases that may be present in your garden to do their worst.
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Rescue the last few plants before they are killed off, and allow them to be cross-pollinated.
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Save the seed-balls from these plants, and send them back to us. If the plants do not set seed, you can send us a few tubers from each plant.
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These become the parents of the next breeding generation, and will be crossed with the results from the other participants in the project.
Comments
Potato Breeding
I have a family garden with room for some potato plants. My family would love to participate in your potato breeding program. Where should I begin?