Europlant assigns 17 highly nutrient efficient potato varieties to low input program

December 31, 2021

With a current selection of 17 high yielding and high-quality special varieties for low input production, the firm aims to meet environmental and cost saving requirements as a part of its Grow green sustainability offensive.

Rising costs and increasing demands

The rising energy prices of recent months do not remain without effect on potato production, as the rising prices lead to significantly increasing costs. The energy-intensive production of nitrogen fertilizers in particular is increasingly burdening the prices for mineral fertilizers. Next to rising costs, increasing demands regarding environmental and groundwater protection lead to calls for higher nutrient efficiency and a wide ecological spread of modern varieties.

Result of variety development’s direction

The special varieties for low input production are a result of the direction of the company’s variety development. For many years the focus has been on improving natural resistance to potato diseases and pests, increasing resilience to environmental factors and enhancing cultivation efficiency combined with stable varietal characteristics in terms of taste and appearance. The varieties for low input production resulting from this effort are very efficient at acquiring and converting nutrients, enabling them to achieve a high yield of consistent quality with a reduced supply of nutrients.

Protecting environment and the farmer’s wallet

‘By cultivating our innovative varieties, plant cultivation measures can be reduced. This protects the environment and the farmer’s wallet,’ says Jörg Eggers, Managing Director of Europlant Pflanzenzucht GmbH. ‘We distinguish between two groups: potato varieties of the PREMIUM category require 12.5 percent less nitrogen fertilizer, for the GOLD category it is even 25 percent less’, Eggers adds.

All-encompassing sustainability

When interviewed by PotatoWorld magazine during the Potato Variety Days 2021 in November, Europlant Managing Director Jörg Renatus pointed out two varieties representing a related main focus of the company’s breeding: all-encompassing sustainability. ‘Our varieties Vindika and Simonetta are both strong on Phytophthora, but they also have other strong resistances’, he explained. The firm cooking Simonetta is one of the varieties in the PREMIUM category and was named the firm’s variety of the year 2021/2022.

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