The innov'action fot the seed potato quality 

FN3PT, a technical institute for the seed potato sector, is conducting, with its Regional Producers' Organisations (Bretagne Plants, Comité Nord and Comité Centre-et-Sud), major research and development activities aimed at developing innovation and strengthening the quality and competitiveness of French seed potatoes.

FN3PT is a technical organisation (association under the law of 1901) which brings together all seed potato producers and their regional organisations (POs). The FN3PT/OP is responsible for the technical improvement of the quality of the French seed potato, the development of production and its promotion, which translates into the following main tasks:

• Contributing to the control and certification of seed potatoes, through technical agreements with the GNIS/SOC ;

• The improvement of methods for detecting and controlling seed potato diseases;

• Improvement of production techniques and technical advice to producers;

• Production of seed material;

• Variety development;

• The promotion of the French certified seed potato;

• Support for exports.

Important research actions are carried out around the following axes:

- preserving the quality of certified seed potatoes

- mobilizing genetic resources for varietal innovation

- develop innovative and reasoned production strategies

- to strengthen the competitiveness of farms and the seed potato sector with the aim of transferring tools and knowledge for the benefit of stakeholders in the sector.

Research actions in the sanitary field aim at reinforcing the guarantees on the certified seed potatoes, avoiding the development of new diseases and reducing the causes of non-quality. The main research work concerns the improvement of knowledge and tools for the detection of viral, bacterial and nematode diseases, the epidemiology of emerging diseases and the search for innovative control methods.

In the varietal field, work is aimed at better characterising genetic resources and helping breeders to select new potato varieties adapted to the market and combining multiple criteria (earliness, productivity, culinary quality, suitability for processing, adaptation to production areas, disease resistance, etc.). In a context of limited inputs, particular emphasis is placed on ways to accelerate the introgression of resistance genes to pests (mildew, nematodes, viruses, etc.). FN3PT is also developing genetic fingerprints of potato varieties and manages a variety database.

The adaptation of cultivation techniques to the specificities of the seed potato sector concerns the different stages of cultivation, from the production of initial material to the technical itineraries of seed potato production. The work is aimed at adapting the quality of seed potatoes to the new needs of users, transferring innovations, strengthening the reasoning of cultivation itineraries and the protection of users, as well as promoting alternative methods and the development of organic seed potatoes.

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