Irish famine blight- resistant potato OK’d

BOISE, Idaho — The U. S. Department of Agriculture has approved a potato genetically engineered by Idaho- based J. R. Simplot Co. to resist the pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine and that still damages crops around the world.

“For historical reasons and current agriculture reasons, this is an important milestone,” said Haven Baker, vice president of plant sciences at Simplot. “The Irish potato famine did change a lot of Western history. Even today — a 160 years later — late blight is a $ 5 billion problem for the global potato industry.”

The USDA made the announcement Friday on its website.

The Russet Burbank variety the USDA approved is the second generation of Simplot’s Innate potatoes and also includes the first generation’s reduced bruising and a greater reduction in a chemical produced at high temperatures some studies have shown can cause cancer.

The second- generation potato also includes a trait the company said will allow potatoes to be stored at colder temperatures longer to reduce food waste.

Baker notes that the modifications were made by silencing existing genes or adding genes from other types of potatoes.

The late blight resistance, he said, came from an Argentinian variety of potato that naturally produced a defense to late blight.

“It’s potato genes in the potato,” he said. “There are clear benefits for everybody, and it’s just a potato.”