Private potato breeder hopes new variety can go commercial

Peter VanderZaag is cautiously optimistic that SP327 will be the variety that finally makes it to the chipping big leagues.

The SP327, developed by VanderZaag at Sunrise Potato in Alliston, has already shown consistency in fry tests throughout winter storage, with glucose levels remaining stable and low, providing a desirable colour and an ideal shape. 

“I’m hopeful but there’s no guarantees,” said VanderZaag, president of Sunrise Potato Systems Institute and a private potato breeder.

His caution is reasonable, said Mark VanOostrum, WD Potato Limited’s supply manager. Over his 20-year career, VanOostrum can think of only two private breeders who had their variety scaled commercially. 

Why it matters: New potato varieties are difficult to develop but they can improve available variety options for growers and processors.

VanderZaag understands the risks. His current breeding program has 3,000 new varieties this year. Only one or two will make it to the five-year mark. The ones that made it to large-scale trials petered out after a few seasons.

VanOostrum said bringing a variety to commercial viability is a slow process encompassing a rigorous set of checks and balances.

The four or five private breeder varieties that showed promise flopped during commercial trials.

“We know there’s an art to it. But we’re looking for a variety that is easy for the artist,” he said. “We’re looking for a variety that’s not erratic so we can reproduce it in multiple areas. The bigger the processing company becomes, the less variety it wants in its portfolio because it doesn’t want any variability.”

VanderZaag is growing four commercial varieties on his farm this year: two for Frito Lay, another variety and SP327.

He planted SP327 on his poorest land with no irrigation. Considering the drought-like conditions this summer, it was a bold move, but he’s optimistic the heat-stress adapted variety’s yield will be as good or better than the others. 

“It’ll be harvested last, so it may have more chance to grow,” he said. “If it rains during August and September, it’ll have more chance to get a better crop.”

An organic producer is using VanderZaag’s SP327 this season, and it’s in commercial plots in Manitoba, Quebec, Ontario and China to measure its performance in various climates. 

VanderZaag said Manitoba wants harvest-to-August storage stability and SP327 could fit the bill. 

Recent fry test data from July 11 shows he’s close, with even colouration and low glucose measurements between 0.003 and 0.030 from two SP327 testing bins.

“If we make that (August requirement), then we’re laughing,” he said.

Of the four SP varieties trialling in China, SP327 is the top performer, and Canadian results are also looking good. 

The chipping industry has more varieties than other markets to cover seasonality. So, while SP327 doesn’t meet all those windows, there may be opportunity to extend the storage window.

VanOostrum said commercial-level trials gather field and agronomy performance data, factory testing and consumer response.

“There’s a lot of data that’s collected in that process. What is the gravity? What is the friability? And will the consumers accept it? You won’t know the answers to those until you actually run it.”

There is a high expectation for a new potato variety to exceed current commercial varieties in its sustainability related to inputs, pesticides, water use, increased fertility, high specific gravity and dry matter. 

Specific gravity or density of a chipping potato indicates the per-bag yield per potato or truckload; dry matter indicates the level of starch, and both are critical in chipping.

VanOostrum said he’s excited to see what might come from the locally grown seed and the next two to three growing seasons will show how it performs in diverse temperatures, rainfall and weather events while in the hands of several growers. 

If SP327 excels, VanOostrum said it could trigger a “we’re ready to go explosive” response. If it doesn’t, it’s a painful death.

“As a grower, once you try (a variety) and it fails once, you’re out a lot of dollars. They never want to repeat that,” he said. “We have to protect everybody, so we want to do it slowly. The rollout has to be slow.”

VanderZaag feels he’s close but admits the next two years will be make-or-break for SP327, and it will depend a lot on people like VanOostrum, WD Potato Limited and Frito Lay.  

“We all hope,” said VanderZaag, grinning. “When I started this work, I told my wife, ‘I’m gonna make you a millionaire.’ She’s still waiting.”

And for the next two years, he will be too.