Biotech Updates

Research Project Aims to Make the Potato Plant as Energy Fit

January 20, 2012

Potato is the 4th most important staple in the world and is also a source of raw material in paper and plastic industries. Currently, potato is being considered as a substrate for energy production in biogas plants which would lessen the corn dependency in producing biofuels. Initial studies by Dr. Thilo Hammann from the Julius Kuhn Institute (JKI) show that optimally adapted potato varieties can compete with corn and other substrates and can provide the highest yields of usable carbohydrates for biofuels.

A three year project supported by the Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR) will thus be conducted by JKI, the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) and a Kartoffelsaatzuchtunternehmen.to improve the breeding potential of starch potatoes to make them as competitive renewable energy resources.

Current pre breeding activities involve the use of genetic association study to develop molecular markers for breeding selection for durable resistance to Phytophthora infestans and high starch content. 

For more on this news, view the article in German at http://www.jki.bund.de/no_cache/de/startseite/presse/pi-12-detail/Pressemitteilung/forschungsprojekt-moechte-die-kartoffel-als-energiepflanze-fit-machen.html