Conserving and sharing native potato diversity with Andean
Potatoes are an essential food and culturally important crop in the high Andes, where they were domesticated thousands of years ago, and where farmers grow and eat a diverse mix of colorful native varieties. Scientists with the International Potato Center (CIP) have spent decades collecting potato landraces (traditional varieties) from farmer’s fields for the CIP genebank, which collaborates with highland communities to conserve that diversity for the world and local people.
he CIP genebank safeguards the world’s largest in vitro potato collection – more than 4,800 genetically unique accessions – conserved as tiny plants inrefrigerated test tubes or frozen tissue cuttings. CIP uses that genetic diversity to breed robust, esilient and nutritious varieties, and shares it globally.
Since 1997, the genebank has also reintroduced 1,519 native potato accessions to Andean communities in Peru, giving nearly 15,000 packages of approximately 10 seed tubers each to 135 communities that request them. Not only do those potatoes replace landraces lost to pests, disease or weather extremes, CIP technicians have cleaned them of viruses that commonly infect the crop and reduce yield.
“While the genebank’s main role is to conserve biodiversity and share it with researchers under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, this program ensures that esilient and nutritious varieties, and shares it globally.
Since 1997, the genebank has also reintroduced 1,519 native potato accessions to Andean communities in Peru, giving nearly 15,000 packages of approximately 10 seed tubers each to 135 communities that request them. Not only do those potatoes replace landraces lost to pests, disease or weather extremes, CIP technicians have cleaned them of viruses that commonly infect the crop and reduce yield.
“While the genebank’s main role is to conserve biodiversity and share it with researchers under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, this program ensures that esilient and nutritious varieties, and shares it globally.
Sample title
Since 1997, the genebank has also reintroduced 1,519 native potato accessions to Andean communities in Peru, giving nearly 15,000 packages of approximately 10 seed tubers each to 135 communities that request them. Not only do those potatoes replace landraces lost to pests, disease or weather extremes, CIP technicians have cleaned them of viruses that commonly infect the crop and reduce yield. “While the genebank’s main role is to conserve biodiversity and share it with researchers under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, this program ensures that esilient and nutritious varieties, and shares it globally.
Since 1997, the genebank has also reintroduced 1,519 native potato accessions to Andean communities in Peru, giving nearly 15,000 packages of approximately 10 seed tubers each to 135 communities that request them. Not only do those potatoes replace landraces lost to pests, disease or weather extremes, CIP technicians have cleaned them of viruses that commonly infect the crop and reduce yield. “While the genebank’s main role is to conserve biodiversity and share it with researchers under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, this program ensures that
Funders: Government of Norway, Global Crop Diversity Trust.
Key partners: Asociación Andes, Asociación de Comunidades del Parque de la Papa, Comunidad de San José de Aymará. Associated CGIAR Research Platform: Genebank
Impact areas – GYS, CAM, EHB; SDG – 15 Life on land