Like most potato breeding programs, the first year of field selection at UW-Madison is conducted on single plants. Although single plants are not very reliable for evaluating yield, for traits like tuber shape, appearance and plant maturity, single plant observations are good predictors of clone performance. I am frequently amazed at the diversity of shapes and appearance in the progeny of elite varieties. Here are my two favorite “uglies” from the 2021 season:
Because so many off-types are produced, large populations are needed to find new varieties that meet the numerous requirements for agronomics and quality.
This fall our breeding program was featured on Wisconsin public radio. Ben Meyer from WXPR joined us during the single plant selection and produced an excellent story about it. Thank you Ben!