WASHINGTON STATE POTATO COMMISSION (WSPC) CONTRIBUTES TO THE TRI-STATE POTATO BREEDING PROGRAM

The newly created WSPC Potato Variety Selection Team completed the variety selection tour this year that started in Hermiston, Oregon on September 26^th, moved on to Klamath Falls, Oregon on September 27^th and 28^th, and finished in Aberdeen, Idaho on October 3^rd-5^th.   Every year, the Tri-State Potato Breeding Program, plants over 150 thousand potatoes that represent new crosses to generate varieties that have superior conformation, yield, and pest resistance for processing, fresh market, and chipping.  The variety selection tour is the final task of the year and consists of the breeding team and knowledgeable potato community professionals examining tubers from each cross and selecting the best for establishment in next year’s crop for further examination.  The Tri-State Potato Breeding Program consists of potato breeders, geneticists, physiologists, and agronomists associated with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, Oregon State University, Washington State University, and the University of Idaho. They have produced superior varieties including Umatilla Russet, Clearwater Russet, Blazer Russet, and Teton Russet which are all accepted by McDonald’s for French fry production.  

The WSPC Potato Variety Selection Team at Aberdeen, Idaho.  From left to right: WSPC Director of Industry Outreach Matthew Blua, Ellie Charvet, Roger Knutzen, and Mike Madsen.