Resilient potatoes to climate change

Executive Summary

This project is a consortium among institutions leading in research, development and innovation in Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia, as well as the potato production sector in the Andean region. Its main goal is to reduce vulnerability to climate change with the incorporation of new families and advanced potato clones with early maturity and resilient to drought. This will be carried out through the distribution of family and advanced clones, previously identified by CIP, the establishment of observation and multiplication plots, the identification of clones derived from families with high genetic merit from each testing country and the evaluation and selection of advanced clones for their adherence to the above traits. Participatory genetic improvement programs and inter-institutional capacities will be strengthened, focusing on improving communication among the different actors of the potato production chain, as well as the participating agencies. Additionally, a communication platform will be implemented among the members, for the identification of future cultivars with advantageous traits, using standardized approaches for clone evaluation and selection. This strategy will also enable the training of young researchers and other participants in new breeding strategies and data analysis and management. With the above, an increase of 1.5-3% in the yield and quality of the tuber of new potato clones is expected under conditions of drought stress in the agroecological areas of intervention compared to local cultivars, with direct benefits up to 5,000 farming families in Andean agroecosystems susceptible to drought, and to other users in the three countries. 

The technological solution

The project will help to reduce the economic and food risk associated with climate variability in small and medium potato producers in the Andean region. The project strategy is based on incorporating new families and advanced potato clones with early maturity and resilient to drought,  previously identified by CIP,  that aim to evaluate and identify clones with high genetic merit and traits of interest in the three countries.

Results

Beneficiaries

The beneficiaries of this project are farming families in Andean agroecosystems susceptible to drought. In Colombia, it will directly impact more than 700 producers from the Cundiboyacense highland region, and indirectly the potato production system that involves 100,000 families dedicated to its cultivation in 10 departments and 283 municipalities. In Ecuador, the direct beneficiaries will be 200 families in the Sierra Region and 150 families from the Coastal Region (Puerto La Boca and Cantagallo) which will indirectly benefit at least 2,000 families. In Bolivia, 420 producers will be directly impacted, using methodologies such as: guided visits, field days, and the use of virtual platforms, thus reaching farming families in the areas of the valleys. Likewise, at least 800 families will be indirectly impacted. Finally, it is expected to impact at least 530 technicians, researchers, teachers, and students from the partner entities of the platform and up to 3,000 members of the potato comunity through events to disseminate results. In this way, the project will impact a total of 5,000 direct beneficiaries.

Sustainable Development Goals

Main donors