Executive Summary
Agroscope is conducting a field trial with potato line P49 27 at the Protected Site Zurich-Reckenholz, which is resistant to late blight. The Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU) has approved the study. The potato was developed using modern breeding technologies and contains exclusively a species-native resistance gene from the wild potato Solanum chacoense. The trial is part of the National Research Program (NFP) 84 and the international CRISPS project. The goal is to develop disease-resistant potato varieties that require fewer plant protection products and better tolerate extreme weather.
Persons
- Agroscope (Swiss research institute)
Topics
- Cisgenic potatoes
- Late blight
- CRISPR breeding technology
- Plant protection
- Climate resilience in agriculture
Clarus Lead
Swiss agriculture is under pressure: In the last ten years, approximately 1000 farms have stopped potato cultivation. Diseases, pests, and extreme weather events complicate production, while the use of plant protection products is increasingly regulated. Agroscope's field trial with cisgenic potato varieties addresses this challenge through precise breeding of natural resistances – an alternative to classical methods that take 20+ years and cannot keep pace with rapid environmental changes.
Detailed Summary
The tested potato line P49 27 was developed at Wageningen University and contains the resistance gene Rpi-chc1 from the wild potato Solanum chacoense. This gene enables natural defense against the fungus causing late blight, the world's most significant potato disease. Since only species-native genes were inserted, the variety is classified as "cisgenic" – an important legal and scientific distinction from transgenic breeding.
The field trial is embedded in the international CRISPS project, which involves research partners from the Netherlands and Sweden. Agroscope is working on two economically important potato varieties for Switzerland – Innovator and Erika – as well as the Désirée variety as a research standard. In the coming years, resistance genes are to be repaired or susceptibility genes are to be selectively switched off in these varieties using CRISPR-Cas gene scissors. Classical breeding methods reach their limits here: they often require over 20 years of development time and cannot keep pace with newly emerging pathogens or rapid climate change. New methods make it possible to precisely breed natural traits in just a few years – without using foreign genes.
Key Statements
- Agroscope is testing cisgenic potatoes with natural resistance to the world's most significant potato disease
- Modern breeding technologies reduce development time from 20+ years to just a few years
- The goal is to increase cultivation resilience and reduce plant protection product use in light of climate change and disease pressure
Critical Questions
Evidence: What timeframes are planned for the field trials, and what measurable success criteria define successful resistance to late blight under Swiss climate conditions?
Source Validity: How is the long-term stability of the inserted resistance gene Rpi-chc1 verified, and are there historical data on resistance breakdown with this gene in other countries?
Conflicts of Interest: Which commercial actors (seed producers, agrochemical companies) are involved in the CRISPS project, and how is their independence ensured in data interpretation?
Causality: To what extent is the decline of 1000 potato farms over ten years primarily attributable to diseases and weather events, and what other economic factors play a role?
Feasibility: What regulatory hurdles must cisgenic potatoes pass after successful field trials to enter commercial production?
Side Effects: How is the ecological impact of releasing cisgenic potatoes on wild potato species or neighboring crops assessed and monitored?
Source Directory
Primary Source: Agroscope Tests Potatoes with Resistance Gene Against Late Blight – news.admin.ch, 05.05.2026
Supplementary Sources:
- BAFU Approves Field Trial with Genetically Modified Potatoes – bafu.admin.ch
- Protected Site Zurich-Reckenholz – Location for Field Trials – agroscope.admin.ch
Verification Status: ✓ 05.05.2026
This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial Responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-Check: 05.05.2026