70 I SEED WORLD EUROPE I SEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPE | OCTOBER 2026 INDUSTRY NEWS TAILORED TO SEED PROFESSIONALS, INDUSTRY NEWS DELIVERS THE PEOPLE, RESEARCH, BUSINESS AND PRODUCT NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW. SUBMISSIONS ARE WELCOME. EMAIL US AT NEWS@SEEDWORLDGROUP.COM. The European Commission has launched AgRI 2040 and Food 2040 to guide EU research and innovation across agriculture and food systems. The frameworks aim to turn scientific advances into practical, market-ready solutions. Euroseeds welcomed the focus on plant breeding and called for sustained investment in breeding, biotechnology and genetic resources. The James Hutton Institute is part of GAIN-RT, a global partner ship using artificial intelligence, genomics, gene editing and field research to accelerate the development of climate-resilient crops. Initially focused on potatoes, the initiative aims to improve disease resistance and deliver stronger varieties to farmers faster. The UK has approved PiperPlus, its first precision-bred potato, moving the disease-resistant Maris Piper closer to commercial production. Developed by The Sainsbury Laboratory, it resists late blight and two major viruses, potentially reducing fungicide and insecticide use. Food safety approval is still required. Austria has begun constructing an AGES agricultural research sta tion in Großnondorf to support variety testing and climate-adapted plant breeding. Located in a dry production region, the facility will examine drought stress and the performance of crops including cereals, soybeans, maize, sunflowers, potatoes and sugar beets. The British Society of Plant Breeders is marking 60 years of sup porting innovation and collaboration in UK plant breeding. Its work has helped advance breeders’ rights and the development of high er-yielding, disease-resistant and climate-resilient crop varieties that strengthen agricultural productivity and food security. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault received 15,387 seed samples from 11 genebanks during its second opening of 2026, bringing its col lection to more than 1.4 million samples. Burkina Faso and Niger participated for the first time, while South Korea and the UK pro vided the largest deposits. Solynta’s SOLHY019 has become the first diploid hybrid potato variety grown from true potato seed to enter the Dutch National Variety Register. The milestone moves hybrid potato breeding fur ther into commercial use and could support future international registrations and market access.
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