Breeding – Bavaria Saat

Bavaria Saat meets the Challenges of the Future!

We at Bavaria-Saat are adjusting to the constantly changing requirements of the potato market with an extensive new breeding programme. Climate changes, for example, give rise to a demand for potato varieties which can give good results under dry climatic conditions. Special attention is also given to developing varieties with a high resistant a level to viruses.

By using complex maintenance cultivation methods it is possible to maintain the quality of the varieties.

BREEDING OF NEW POTATOE VARIETIES

The main opjective of the Bavaria-Saat is to breed robust varieties in accordance with the following criteria:

High quality food varieties for all harvests
Varieties for processing purposes
High-yield robust starch potatoes

The following spectrum of resistance categories are of special consideration when selecting varieties for breeding purposes:

Broad nematode resistance
Resistance to potato wart disease
Virus resistance
Late blight resistance
Resistance to storage diseases

Testing for resistances is partly carried out in cooperation with the Bavarian Central Authority of Agriculture (LfL) in Freising/Weihenstephan.

The breeding material is planted outdoors in light soil for the first three years, giving a good basis for selection regarding scab and tolerance in dry conditions.

The cultivation scheme used at Bavaria-Saat:

YEAR	SCALE
1	300 – 400 Crosses
2	80.000 – 100.000 Greenhouse seedlings
3	60.000 – 70.000 Single plants
4	3.000 – 4.000 A – clones
5	500 – 600 B – clones
6	80 – 150 C – clones
7	30 – 50 D – clones
8	15 – 20 E – clones
9	2 – 4 Official Classification trial 1, Bundessortenamt
10	1 – 3 Official Classification trial 2, Bundessortenamt
11	1 – 2 Authorization of variety following examination by official standards

POTATO MAINTENANCE CULTIVATION

The extent of the maintenance breeding we carry out depends on the market significance of a particular variety. Bavaria-Saat varieties are propagated exclusively using in-vitro – cultivation methods.

This work is also done in cooperation with the Bavarian Central Authority of Agriculture. The in-vitro method ensures a completely bacteria and virus-free propagation of new plant material.

Potato Maintenance Cultivation Scheme:

JAHR
1	Cultivation of in-vitro plants under sterile conditions. Greenhouse cultivation of M1 tubers
2	tubers cultivated in tunnel or under gauze
3	tubers – cultivation under gauze harvest as pre-basic seed
Years following	following – Production of seeds class S/SE/E in selected production farms in healthyregions e.g. costal regions in northern Germany

During the first three years of the maintenance breeding process virus infections by aphids are prevented 100% mechanically. This is done over an area now covering approx. 4.000 m² gauze tunneling and 14 hectares of gauze sheeting divided between the 4 Bavaria-Saat partner farms. This method considerably reduces the use of insecticides.