Adapting policy to facilitate the market entry of Hybrid True Potato Seed varieties

Author: Michiel de Vries, Rian Stekelenburg & Gerard Meijer

Hybrid potato breeding holds large promise in increasing the sustainability and productivity of potato production.
Hybrid potato breeding strategies can be very fast, and targeted to address multiple stresses, including drought and disease.
Hybrid breeding results in True Seed starting materials instead of conventional tubers, which are virtually clean of pests and diseases.
Farmers in the EU can benefit from this technology in the future, but currently commercialization is a huge barrier.
Alleviating these barriers requires the adaptation of variety registration, certification and protection policies.