New potato varieties resistant to increasing salinization in Egypt

Climate change is not sparing Egyptian growers and is imposing itself in various forms, such as disrupting the length of the seasons or the size of crops. But it will become even more serious if climate change manifests itself in rising sea levels and increased salinity in irrigation water and soils. Rising salinity levels are forcing growers in many areas to switch to other crops. Jeroen Bakker, Head of Breeding Fresh Markets at the Dutch potato breeder HZPC, has been working on this problem in the potato sector for years. He offers growers new potato varieties with a "proven high tolerance to salinity". The Egyptian potato sector is very concerned about rising salinity levels, as the crop is grown in the most affected areas. Potato has also been labeled a "strategic crop" in the government's plans to reclaim desert land. “We see the Egyptian government reclaiming new fields in the desert that will be irrigated with well water of sometimes mixed water quality, while there is no ...