Scottish science has scored again. The scientists at the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI) in partnership with Greenvale AP have developed a new potato variety “Mayan Gold” (photo). Mayan Gold is like potatoes eaten in Peru, tasty, fast cooking and rich in carotenoids. It is praised by many leading chefs.

The story started in the 1960s. Mike De,Maine MBE remembers “ My colleague George Mackay first recognised the potential of the long-day adapted phureja population for producing a niche novelty vegetable for the UK. We found cooking characteristics were quite a bit different from common potatoes - although they produce delicious mash after careful steaming, we liked them best fried. We were getting exciting flesh colours – orange, all shades of yellow and then some with red or purple markings. Dormancy was a problem. In their native country they cropped up to three times per year – they didn’t want to stop growing. We improved on the dormancy issue significantly but they still sprout early unless you have chilled storage. All the improvements were made by selection followed by allowing the best to interbreed pollinated by bumble bees. Classical plant breeding with minimal interference by us!”

Deputy Food Minister Rhona Brankin said:

“This product clearly demonstrates the excellent science we support in Scotland. The adaptation of a tasty potato native to equatorial regions to production in the Scottish climate, shows the outstanding contribution science can make to our lives – and it takes less time to cook, saving both time and energy.”

Anne Colquhoun, Abertay University, who did a lot of the taste and cooking tests at Dundee University, says “An exciting alternative to potatoes currently on the market offering unique colouring and flavour”

Dr Nigel Kerby, Managing Director of Mylnefield Research Services Ltd, the commercial arm of SCRI, said “This is an excellent example of the innovative capability of SCRI. From their basic research they recognised the opportunity of developing a novel potato which could be grown in the UK; this is an example of excellent Scottish science”

This long term project has had funding from the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department and several industrial sponsors along the way but Greenvale AP have worked in partnership with SCRI for the last 15 years to put this variety into a supermarket near you.

Nigel commented “New competitive products are based on two essential ingredients: ability to innovate and partnerships between the science base and industry”

The Director of SCRI Professor Peter Gregory said “SCRI is proud to add to its catalogue of outstanding blackcurrant and raspberry varieties a new potato developed through Scottish scientific creativity. This new product, resulting from a close partnership of strategic research and commercial know-how again demonstrates our commitment to the delivery of high quality and healthy food”.

Potatoes in Practice

At this year’s Potatoes in Practice the Scottish Crop Research Institute had displays which emphasised the wide range of scientific research it provides to the potato industry.

Work is being done to improve disease resistance and flavour in potatoes. Species collected in Peru, the home of the potato, were seen growing at Potatoes in Practice demonstrating unique and unusual characteristics. By studying the genes in these plants, scientists are finding molecular markers linked to particular traits such as resistance to pests like potato cyst nematodes. Scientists at SCRI then look for these same markers in modern varieties. This shows the existence of the trait and speeds up the breeding and selection process.

As an example Vales Everest , marketed by GreenvaleAP, has the best resistance to the white potato cyst nematode of any variety on the current National List. This resistance is derived from Solanum tuberosum subsp andigena, one of the accessions to the Commonwealth Potato Collection (CPC).

Another species of potato in the CPC is Solanum phureja, the second most cultivated species in South America. SCRI has adapted it through generations of selection so that it yields well in our long days in northern Europe. It is an interesting variety for its unique flavour and texture as well as its resistance to blackleg and powdery scab. Mayan Gold is the first variety to come from this species and is being marketed by GreenvaleAP. Growers saw the new variety growing at Potatoes in Practice and had the opportunity to taste the baked tubers.

Potatoes in Practice is the premier field event in Scotland for the potato industry. A joint event organised by SCRI, SAC and CSCPotatoCare and sponsored by the BPC.

The Commonwealth Potato Collection is a major genebank containing over 1300 accessions of 86 different species related to the cultivated potato S. tuberosum L. The collection is based on seeds collected in Mexico and South America in the 1930s.

SCRI is situated in Invergowrie on the north bank of the River Tay in a first class agricultural area to the west of Dundee. The 350 staff and students of SCRI and the University of Dundee have well equipped laboratory, glasshouse and field facilities in which to conduct excellent research.

Research focusses on processes that regulate the growth of plants and their responses to pests, pathogens and the environment. It includes genetics to breed crops with improved quality and nutritional value as fast as possible. By understanding the plant’s response to pests and diseases and how they react to the soil, air and water around them, environmentally friendly and sustainable methods of protecting crops from the ravages of pests, diseases and weeds are developed.

We are Scotland’s leading institute for research on plants and their interactions with the environment particularly in managed ecosystems. Our research and products are internationally recognized.