The Netherlands begins field trials with genetically edited potatoes

Wageningen University and Research Institute (WUR), in collaboration with the Government of the Netherlands, has launched a groundbreaking study to evaluate new crop varieties developed using New Genomic Techniques (NTG). The main objective is to increase accumulated resistance to the devastating pathogen *Phytophthora infestans* while simultaneously reducing the use of chemical pesticides.

This trial represents a significant technological advancement for the institution, which has not conducted a field study of this scale for eleven years, since the DuRPh project (Durable Resistance against *Phytophthora*). However, unlike that project, which employed traditional genetic transformation methods and faced significant regulatory challenges, high costs, and market resistance, the current research is based on precision gene-editing techniques such as CRISPR-Cas.

**A change in the European regulatory landscape**

The regulatory environment in the European Union is undergoing a profound transformation. After more than twenty years of strict regulations on genetically modified crops, the EU is moving towards a more flexible legal framework for GMOs. This new approach focuses on regulating only those modifications that could not occur naturally through crossbreeding or spontaneous mutations. Controlled mutations using tools such as CRISPR-Cas and cisgenesis (the addition of genes from the same species) are permitted under this flexibility, while the introduction of exogenous genes will remain strictly prohibited.

In the experimental crops, the potatoes planted belong to the commercial variety Innovator, which shows no noticeable visual differences. However, their genomes have been precisely modified: one group has had one or two genes incorporated that confer resistance to the fungus *Phytophthora infestans*, while another group had a specific gene deactivated using CRISPR-Cas to improve its immune response.

**An essay based on three strategies**

To test the actual effectiveness of the genetic modifications, scientists have designed a trial based on three agricultural management approaches: one plot without any chemical application, another with regular fumigation, and a third where chemical treatments are applied only after detecting an active infection.

According to researcher Ania Lukasiewicz, the study’s main objective is to minimize the use of chemical pesticides. However, she points out that the highly variable nature of the pathogen in the soil necessitates constant monitoring, as there is a risk that *Phytophthora* could adapt and overcome new resistances. These genomic tools allow for the faster development of resistant varieties, which is key to anticipating the fungus’s behavior.

It is estimated that the first signs of the disease will begin to appear in the field starting in July. It will be then that the differences between the three treatments studied will become apparent. The experimental harvest is scheduled for late September or early October, at which time the data obtained will provide a valuable analysis of the viability and effectiveness of these techniques.