In collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN), Wageningen University & Research (WUR) will launch new field trials with genetically modified potatoes in 2026. The potatoes used in these trials have been modified by adding or switching off several genes, making them resistant to diseases and pests, including late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans.
Researchers expect these resistant varieties could substantially reduce the need for pesticides. The trials will examine how effectively the resistance performs in practice and how crop protection strategies can be adjusted accordingly.
This new field trial marks the next step in the development of genetically modified potatoes. The previous trial, conducted as part of the DuRPh project, took place 11 years ago. In that project, extra resistance genes against Phytophthora were introduced into widely grown potato varieties. Because Phytophthora is a persistent disease that can severely damage yields, it is currently controlled through intensive pesticide use. The earlier trials showed that potato plants carrying multiple resistance genes were highly resistant to the disease, unlike plants with none or only one such gene, according to a press release.
However, the DuRPh potatoes were never commercialized as a market variety. The main reason was the method used to introduce the resistance genes. Rather than using conventional breeding, researchers relied on transformation, a technique that produces a genetically modified potato plant. Under European Union rules, genetically modified plants are subject to a long, expensive, and uncertain approval process. Even if approval is granted, market acceptance remains far from guaranteed.
Improved Technology
Since then, the technology has advanced. Genome editing now makes it possible to introduce small, highly targeted changes to plant DNA. These methods are known as New Genomic Techniques (NGTs). In principle, they can produce plants that could also have been developed through conventional breeding, meaning they are not considered to introduce new safety risks.
Conventional breeding can use the same resistance genes, but the selection process is slow, so varieties resistant to multiple diseases and pests take much longer to reach cultivation. Genetic modification and NGTs can significantly accelerate the development of disease-resistant varieties.
At the same time, the EU is working on legislation that would exempt plants developed through NGTs from the approval requirements that apply to genetically modified plants. By showing what genome editing and NGT-based crops look like in practice, these new trials may also help support public debate in the Netherlands on NGTs and agricultural sustainability.
