New potato varieties for limited-resource communities in the high Andes

Code:
CGIAR#7027
Initiative:
Call for Proposals
Other agencies:
USD 500.000
Counterpart Amount:
USD 623.594
Execution time
36 Months
Total Amount:
USD 1.123.594
Participating countries:
Peru Peru Bolivia Bolivia Colombia Colombia Ecuador Ecuador Argentina Argentina
Funding source:
Other agencies 45% Counterpart Amount 55%

Executive Summary

The Andean countries have made progress in potato breeding, but innovations are still needed for low-income people in marginal high-Andean areas. The gap is a consequence of the weak articulation of research systems with development agents and grassroots organizations, the incompatibility between formal seed systems and peasant ("informal") systems, the limited systematization and replication of experiences that work in specific contexts and collaboration between countries with a similar reality. The project has contributed to correct the above based on four modules:

  1. Facilitated access of national research systems to standardized germplasm, information and evaluation procedures.
  2. Accelerated released of varieties and early adoption of innovative dissemination, diffusion and promotion schemes adapted to multiple needs and opportunities.
  3. Diverse, efficient and economically viable technologies for seed production.
  4. Research and Development Innovation Network to facilitate interaction between public and private actors and existing networks.

Some of the outstanding products and results include an increase in the genetic base with resistant and highly productive materials; diffusion and promotion of new varieties; Improved seed systems based on aeroponics, information and training units for multi-stakeholder chains.

The technological solution

The technological solution was based on genetic improvement and the availability of resistant materials, with high productivity, earliness and quality through the international distribution of genotypes and their incorporation into breeding programs. This resulted in four new varieties released and four other that have been proposed for release. This solution would be incomplete without the incorporation of improved seed production systems in the communities themselves, through the training of 34 seed producers capable of producing pre-basic seed. Finally, the technological solution was complemented by actions to disseminate results and technologies and the training of technicians and producers in all participating countries.

Results

In the three years, the project promoted scientific and technical collaboration between breeding programs and users of new potato varieties (farmers and companies). The achievements in the strategic axes have been:

  • Increase of the genetic base of national programs with resistant materials of high productivity, earliness and quality.
  • Dissemination of these genetic materials via innovative tools and models for the promotion and marketing of new varieties, including the Participatory Approach to Productive Chains (EPCP), demonstration plot networks, national commercial catalogs of new varieties and advanced clones, impact studies on informal dissemination in mountainous areas, among others.
  • Efficient systems for the production of pre-basic seed with the installation of aeroponics units in 3 of the 4 countries of the consortium, an aeroponics manual and 34 trained seed producers and researchers. The implementation of 3 pilot cases of Declared Quality seed production and the generation of a considerable volume of training  and information materials have been achieved.

Beneficiaries

The project achieved significant benefits derived from the actions of the executing agency (CIP), which trained 34 seed producers in the production of pre-basic seed in aeroponics units and 12 researchers in the use of GIS-AMMI platforms. Under the project, more than 500 potato genotypes were exchanged. Additionally, each participating country trained and provided superior genetic materials to a large number of producers and undergraduate and postgraduate theses were developed. This achievements signal not only benefits for technicians and producers but also for consumers, who now have access to new quality potato varieties.

Sustainable Development Goals

No poverty Zero Hunger Responsible consumption and production Partnerships for the goals

Main donors

Participating Organizations

Executor
  • Centro Internacional de la Papa (CIP) - Perú
Co-executor
  • Fundación para la Promoción e Investigación de Productos Andinos (PROINPA) - Bolivia
  • Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria (INIA) - Perú
  • Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIAP) - Ecuador
  • Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria (CORPOICA) - Colombia
  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia (UNAL) - Colombia
Associated
  • Congelagro-Mckain - Argentina
  • Alianza Cambio Andino - Perú

Graphics and data

Financing by country (in USD)
FONTAGRO Amount Other agencies Counterpart Amount

Geolocated Map

Researchers

Sponsors
BID
IICA
With the support of
Fondo Coreano de Alianza para el Conocimiento en Tecnología e Innovación (KPK)