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Commercial Success of ECLAIR Programme
AGRE-0001: Storage tolerant chipping (crisping) potato cultivars |
AGRE-0001: Storage tolerant chipping (crisping) potato cultivars
Science Background
The potato processing industry increasingly relies upon low temperature storage of potatoes to control sprouting. However, low temperature sweetening of tubers exacerbates the problem of product browning as a consequence of increased Maillard activity. It is therefore important that potato cultivars that accumulate commercially acceptable levels of reducing sugars are made available to industry.
Objectives
At the time of this project, genotypes showing degrees of tolerance to low temperature sweetening were available, providing excellent tools for understanding the underlying biochemical mechanisms. However, their attributes were not as acceptable to industry as those of the preferred crisping cultivars. Thus, the objective was to produce genetically modified cultivars of current potato chipping (crisp) varieties with a low level of reducing sugars where sprouting is reduced or eliminated at cold temperatures. Thus the need for storage chemical treatment is minimized. This would be achieved by cloning genes that code for enzymes that have a key regulatory effect in the pathways of starch respiration, or sucrose metabolism. The cultivar cells of chipping potatoes (such as Record, Saturna, Erntestolz and other promising material from breeders) would then be transformed using suitably modified versions of the genes from the clones. Study and selection of required traits would follow this.
Significant changes and results since end of ECLAIR
The coordinator of this project, ECSA Research Ltd, UK (ERL) is funded by major chips and snacks manufacturers in the UK and Europe. ERL funded phase 2 research to develop the technology and carry out field trials. This resulted in field trials of around 30 promising lines in Autumn 1998, followed by tests in 1999. It is anticipated that products will be available in 5-6 years.
Results
At end of this ECLAIR project
Genes encoding several enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism were cloned and preliminary trials carried out with transgenic plants. Several lines showed a capacity to accumulate less reducing sugar when tubers were stored at low temperature.
Current position
At the end of this project ECSA Research Ltd (ERL), UK (coordinators of the ECLAIR project) decided to 100% fund phase 2 of the programme, with project technology concentrated at the Scottish Crop Research Institute, UK. The genes and gene promoters isolated during ECLAIR were evaluated and a decision was made on which genes to modify in only one commercial potato variety (Saturna).
The goal was to generate commercially viable transgenics with improved frying quality out of cold storage. Phase 2 aimed to produce many transgenic lines and to field trial the potatoes within a three year term. Between December 1994 and 1997, SCRI made the gene constructs and generated several thousand transgenic plants of the variety Saturna for field trials.
They also trialled some of the original transgenic lines produces during the ECLAIR programme that had not been fully assessed. These include transgenic lines of cultivars Record, Bintje and Desiree. At the end of the contract SCRI carried out an additional one year trial to ensure that as much data as possible could be collected from real growing environments. This has resulted in a considerable amount of data on processing quality of the transgenic lines when fried after cold storage of the potatoes. The objective in early 1999 is to identify those lines that have consistently improved quality. The Max Planck institute has continued work on invertase inhibitor genes and cold sweetening.
Impact
Commercial
The decision was taken at the beginning of the ECLAIR project to protect through breeders rights rather than patents if a distinctly new cultivar was produced. ATO-DLO - applied for European Patent - rights for W Europe/E Europe, for crisps, snack products, crisps, etc. Danisco may have a patent on potato amylase genes and
amylase promoters, which ERL may have taken over. The Max Planck Institute in Koln was considering a patent on an invertase inhibitor gene.
Around 30 of the most promising lines were in field trials for cropping in late Autumn 1998. A number of these may be of interest for various products. They were tested early in 1999 for build-up in reducing sugars, frying qualities, etc. Results of these trials were very promising. Uptake by the relevant industries is now under discussion.
Contacts
Author
ECSA Research Ltd
SCRI
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