USA – A new genetically engineered potato developed by Michigan State University (MSU) has been granted an exemption from U.S. biotechnology regulations.
In January, Douches received notice from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) that the Kal91.3 potato does not pose an increased plant pest risk compared to its conventionally bred counterpart.
This exemption from biotech regulations signifies that the potato could have been developed through traditional breeding techniques.
MSU potato breeder Dave Douches and his team created the Kal91.3 potato, which can be stored at cool temperatures without converting sucrose into reducing sugars such as fructose and glucose.
This stability prevents off-color browning and caramelization, ensuring higher-quality potato chips.
Douches explained, “We have chipping potatoes that work well, but I wanted to improve a potato that had issues with its sugars. Using biotechnology, we succeeded in making a commercially valuable potato.”
The Kal91.3 potato also requires fewer fertilizers and pesticides during storage, reducing its environmental impact.
This advancement stems from the work of Jiming Jiang, an MSU Foundation Professor who, about ten years ago, published findings on silencing the gene responsible for producing vacuolar acid invertase in potatoes.
Douches utilized this discovery to correct the sugar imbalance in Michigan’s commercial chipping potatoes.
After multiple experiments between 2014 and 2015, Douches developed an RNA interference construct that silenced vacuolar acid invertase in Kalkaska potatoes.
From 2016 to 2023, he tested the agronomic characteristics of the Kal91.3 potato, finding it had an ideal shape, size, and specific gravity.
Traditionally, farmers have stored chipping potatoes at around 50°F to prevent vacuolar acid invertase from converting sucrose into reducing sugars.
However, this practice made potatoes more prone to storage rots and moisture loss. The Kal91.3 potato, by contrast, can be stored at 40°F while maintaining its sugar balance.
“There’s a double value to it,” Douches said. “The first is that we stabilize the sugars. The second is that we benefit from being able to store the potato for longer periods at cooler temperatures.”
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