The PROROB project addressed this question by developing common methodologies to better identify varieties capable of coping with current agronomic and climatic challenges.
A common standard for the industry
In a context marked by increasingly frequent droughts, the resurgence of certain diseases, and the need to reduce inputs, variety selection has become a strategic factor in ensuring a stable potato crop. Today, growers are looking for varieties that can maintain their potential while adapting to more challenging growing conditions.
To improve understanding of these varieties, known as hardy potatoes, the CRA-W participated in the cross-border PROROB project alongside Inagro and the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Chamber of Agriculture. This collaboration, which lasted eighteen months, aimed to establish identical evaluation methods on both sides of the border in order to make test results more easily comparable.
The work resulted in the development of four standardised protocols covering key criteria for potato cultivation. These protocols address resistance to downy mildew, nitrogen use efficiency, tolerance to a water deficit, as well as crop yield and quality. Thanks to a common definition of indicators and observation procedures, the data collected can be interpreted more consistently across the entire region concerned.
The project also helped strengthen technical exchanges among partners. In particular, training sessions and workshops to compare practices were organised to standardise approaches to evaluating the culinary quality of varieties.
For the CRA-W, these advances represent an important step towards supporting more resilient production systems. The tools developed as part of the PROROB project will provide breeders, advisors, and growers with new references for identifying the varieties best suited to current and future environmental stresses.
Supported by the Interreg France-Wallonia-Flanders programme, the project demonstrates the value of cross-border cooperation in collectively addressing the sustainability challenges facing the potato industry.
Funding
