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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Genetic Improvement for Fruits & Vegetables Laboratory » Research » Research Project #443886

Research Project: Eastern Potato Breeding Group Seed Nursery

Location: Genetic Improvement for Fruits & Vegetables Laboratory

Project Number: 8042-21000-305-016-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: May 1, 2023
End Date: Apr 30, 2024

Objective:
ARS is engaged in potato varietal development for the Eastern U.S. and participates in regional variety trials with other breeding programs. ARS wishes to submit ten chipper and table stock potato breeding lines into the Eastern potato breeder group seed nursery coordinated by the University of Maine. The Eastern potato breeders seed nursery increases and distributes seed of potato breeding lines for field trials across the Eastern production area (Florida, Maine, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia). Growing the seed for the Eastern regional trials in the same field ensures uniformity of potato seed quality for these trials.

Approach:
ARS will submit selected potato breeding lines to the University of Maine who will propagate the material for increase and distribution to regional trials. Separate agreements will be prepared with the Office of Technology Transfer for transfer of ARS germplasm to cooperators for field trial evaluations.