Development of high yielding, disease resistant, and drought and heat tolerant varieties for long day conditions
Climate change is affecting Central Asia at a more rapid rate than many other parts of the world, adding pressure on abiotic stresses (e.g., heat, drought, increased soil salinity) as well as biotic ones, such as virus diseases that reduce production in warmer lowland areas. In more humid mountainous areas, late blight disease has a critical impact on yields and profitability. Water shortages are becoming an increasingly important problem due to greater competition for water resources and need for improved water management.
Because of its high water use efficiency, potato is gaining support among policymakers as a substitute for the less water efficient cereal crops. CIP is working to develop potatoes that offer late blight resistance, increased water efficiency, with high bio-availabilitiy of iron and zinc, which also meet consumer preferences.
In addition, we are focused on the development of early and heat-tolerant potato varieties that can be planted during what is traditionally the non-productive summer fallow period between wheat crops.
