EEUU: MICHIGAN GM POTATO VARIETY GETS GREEN LIGHT

Kelly Turner with the Michigan Potato Industry Commission tells Brownfield research has been underway for about a decade on the Kal91.3 potato.

“They not only have to bulk, they have to yield, they have to store well,” she explains. “They also have to have good high quality, not only for the grower, but when they go to a processor and consumer it has to meet their qualifications.”

The potato is bred from Michigan State University’s Kalkaska variety and can be stored longer without breaking down as quickly as its predecessor because its sugar content is more stabilized.

Turner says it’s the first genetically engineered vegetable developed by a land-grant university to be exempt from USDA’s biotechnology regulations.  

“It really is just keeping a gene that’s already in there kind of quiet, so it doesn’t show itself and that has huge implications for the betterment of the industry, not only for growers but for processors and consumers,” she explains.

Turners says the potato requires less inputs and could help stabilize potato markets for Michigan growers by closing a supply gap in the chipping industry. She says the reduced fructose and glucose also makes chips crispier and healthier.

Turner says its commercialization is still in its infancy and it could take several more years before the spud reaches consumers.

AUDIO: Kelly Turner, Michigan Potato Industry Commission