Chinese and Scottish researchers have agreed to work together and explore joint solutions to potato breeding and crop pests and diseases that cause major losses to farmers and industry across the world. Charlotte Cunningham reports.
A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, part of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and the James Hutton Institute, during Potatoes in Practice 2019.
IVF-CAAS is the largest national agricultural research institution undertaking agricultural research in China on flowers and vegetables including potato. With China currently taking the title of the world’s largest potato producers, the agreement seeks to strengthen collaboration on potato research and breeding.
It is hoped that the new links will result in the development of improved potato varieties, as well as the exploration of novel disease resistance sources to late blight using modern biotechnology.
Collaboration
Professor Jin Li-ping, chair and Chief Scientist of the National Potato R&D Centre, China Agriculture Research System, who signed the agreement on behalf of the visitors said : “We hope that this agreement with the James Hutton Institute will boost our ongoing collaborations by developing a joint laboratory. It’s our expectation that this collaboration bears fruit in the near future, for the benefit of the potato sector in both UK and China.”
Professor Colin Campbell, Chief Executive of the James Hutton Institute, added: “Our intention is to establish formal collaborative links to bring together different aspects of the research at each institution on potato breeding and diseases. The agreement provides a framework for these linkages to be formed.”
