RESEARCH ON POTATOES

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29830, 24 May 1962, Page 19

RESEARCH ON POTATOES

Chips Play A Part

The potato chip is playing an important part in research on potato quality. Several quality factors could be evaluated by chipping and research in potato breeding was being aimed at quality improvement as well as disease resistance. Mr C. M Driver, plant breeder of the Crop Research Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, told members of the Canterbury branch of the Institute of Agricultural Science. Potato chips were now being cooked at Lincoln for research and they were also “extra popular with the staff," he said.

Describing his study trip overseas, Mr Driver Mid that there was no reason why a potato variety could not be bred which would be resistant to all the major diseases. “We could breed to make plant diseases relatively unimportant in commercial varieties." he said.

New’ Zealand should be spending more on research, he said. Overseas. the demand was for high quality even lines, which favoured large scale production under controlled conditions. Agriculture overseas was becoming big business which sought steady even returns on investment. This attitude favoured extensive research, even though some of it might prove unprofitable. 'New Zealand could compete in world markets on potato production. With some irrigation—New Zealand had a shortage of rainfall—growth could be controlled. With careful control of soil conditions, harvesting and handling, crops of 20 tons an acre could be produced each year. ‘This will probably come in the next five years—it’s no good this five acres here and five acres there,” he said. Associated with large scale potato production was processing and to make this economic about 10 per cent, of potatoes would have to be eaten in processed form. Mr Driver said.