Notizie Marzo 2011
Can potato breeding help develop varieties with an increased salt tolerance?
The salinisation of agricultural land is a serious problem in an increasing number of growing regions. As many as 800 million hectares of agricultural land worldwide have become salinated (www.fao.org). An increase in the sea level caused by climate change will have an effect on the level of groundwater in the Netherlands, which is saline in many places. If saline groundwater reaches the root zone of plants, the consequences for agriculture will be severe.
In early 2009 C. Meijer B.V. and the Southern Agriculture and Horticulture Association (ZLTO) decided to setup a trial to investigate the salt tolerance of potato varieties in greater depth. The project was co-financed by the Province of Zeeland and the ZLTO.
The aim of the trial was to identify genetic differences in respect of salt tolerance between existing varieties and to find more suitable genitors to form the basis for developing varieties with greater salt tolerance.
The 2009 trials were repeated in 2010. There was a clear difference between the two years. 2009 was a wet year, and the saline location used in the trial suffered much more on account of that than in the following year, which was dry. It was in the dry year that the crop was able to use the saline groundwater.
It was able to reach the saline groundwater located about 60 cm below the root zone through capillary action of the soil. The trial did not reveal what happens to the plants if the roots grow in or towards this groundwater level. After having processed the 2010 results, however, it can be stated that 2009 was not a good year for testing salt tolerance because there was a surplus of fresh water throughout the period. This surplus obviously led to an oxygen shortage around the roots which severely restricted growth. |
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Trial field near Zierikzee
The trial in 2010 can be considered a success in terms of measuring the tolerance of potatoes to saline groundwater. Clear differences between varieties can be observed, although more results are needed to be able to produce a statistically reliable assessment.
www.fao.org: http://www.fao.org/ag/agl/agll/spush
www.ars.usda.gov: www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=8908
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