Potential impact of hybrid true potato seed in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Potato farming underpins the livelihoods of millions of smallholder producers in Sub-Saharan Africa, but productivity remains well below its potential. Poor access to and consequent limited use of quality seed is an important factor contributing to low productivity. So far, attempts to develop potato seed systems mirroring the European model have not been successful or only partially. The innovation of hybrid true potato seed (HTPS) has created the opportunity to transform the seed potato sector in Sub-Saharan Africa taking a new, radically different approach. The land requirement for an HTPS-based seed system is lower as fewer generations are needed. Also, it will no longer be necessary to maintain and rapidly multiply plantlets from tissue culture. Availability of early generation seed (EGS) can quickly increase as quality seed can now be produced centrally in large quantities. Subsequently, EGS can be distributed easily to local specialised multipliers circumventing the logistical constrains of transport and storage of the vegetative system. Local multiplication means that seed tubers are grown close to the smallholder's farm; this generates trust between seed supplier and client, which is important in the absence of a functional certification system. It is expected that smallholder potato producers will prefer seed tubers rather than HTPS or seedlings. Of course, HTPS varieties must match the needs of smallholders. Current product portfolios of international breeding companies are not tailored to Sub-Saharan Africa market demands. Short dormancy, late blight resistance and earliness are very important traits in Sub-Saharan Africa, while being (much) less important on the global seed potato market. HTPS (diploid) varieties can be improved faster making breeding for Sub-Saharan African demands feasible. Moreover, seed potato costs are expected to be lower in an HTPS system. Despite these obvious advantages, HTPS will not be an instant success. A last-mile retail system, bringing seed potatoes close to smallholder farms is adamant, and varieties tailored to specific smallholder needs must still be developed and must be affordable. Finally, training of smallholders on good agricultural practices, seed degeneration and the added value of quality seed will take time and resources. This chapter analyses current practices and constraints along the seed value chain and whether HTPS can address these challenges. In this way, it assesses the potential of HTPS to catalyse a transformation of the seed potato sector for the benefit of smallholder producers in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Responsible Innovation in Plant Breeding: The Case of Hybrid Potato Breeding

“…However, as we already noted in the introduction, among scholars studying seed interventions in the international development context, there is a broad agreement that without a more in-depth understanding of farmers' diverse conditions and needs, such interventions are often doomed to fail. Moreover, as observed in another contribution to our conference volume, without substantial market demand, we cannot expect that traits that are specifically relevant to smallholder farmers will receive much attention within commercial (hybrid) breeding programs [19]. Indeed, the question of how to combine business opportunities for breeders with variety development that serves global food security was one of the key issues mentioned at the international Potato Futures conference.…”

“…Nonetheless, the commercial availability of more and cleaner potato starting material can result in general benefits: raising yields and strengthening local food security. Innovative seed-to-seed tuber multiplication systems are seen as a crucial step toward this goal [19]. Moreover, contrary to other hybrid seeds, hybrid potato seed can still be multiplied vegetatively by farmers, and hence, it is expected to result in (rapid) diffusion through both the formal and informal seed system.…”

“…As the company started to consider the potential impact of hybrid potato on global food security, our POTAREI team also felt incentivized to more deliberately explore how hybrid potato could make a difference in the international development context of Sub-Saharan Africa. The emphasis on Africa was largely motivated by the large and persistent yield gap of potato in this continent due to a lack of good seed and a range of pathogens that resourcepoor smallholder farmers struggle to control [16][17][18][19]. Under such harsh socio-ecological conditions, hybrid potato may offer a significant contribution to food security and related SDGs, whereas in China and India, as prominent potato producers, the socio-ecological and institutional conditions are more favorable, and national initiatives have already been initiated to develop domestic hybrid potato breeding programs [53,54], see also Section 7.1.…”

“…The hybrids that are tested under various agroecological conditions are selected by the company from its current breeding innovation pipeline. In this respect, the company follows a strategy similar to that of other globally operating potato breeding firms, which in their breeding programs hardly focus on the particular needs of African farmers but introduce best-bet varieties from their portfolios in those countries where there is a market demand [19]. As we learned from our exploration of hybrid potato prospects in the international development context, in the absence of an immediate business case, there is a need for public-private collaboration to facilitate the development and dissemination of potato varieties that are suited to the specific conditions and needs of smallholder farmers (see also: [7]).…”

Drivers for mechanizing potato harvesting in Kenya: insights from Nyandarua County farming

“…The primary concern addressed in this study is the escalating production costs during harvesting seasons, which often strain farmers' financial resources [6,11,[17][18][19]. To guide research and development efforts strategically, an in-depth analysis tailored to Nyandarua County's potato farming system is imperative [7,20,21].…”