Foreword
The potato (Solanum tuberosum) belongs to the large family of Solanaceae
(nightshades), which comprises thousands of species, among which are tomato,
aubergine, pepper and the tobacco plant. Originating in South and Central America,
the potato is becoming an increasingly important staple food all over the world. This
is because potatoes contain nutritional elements that are important for our health,
such as fibre, iron, potassium and vitamins B and C. They contain no fat, are low
in calories and have an attractive taste. On the assumption that the availability of
fresh water will become a great concern in decades to come, potatoes offer the
advantage over other major food crops of efficiently producing dry matter, protein
and energy. Thanks to their many specific qualities, potatoes can be successfully
grown under the most varied climate and production conditions all over the world.
Aware of the potato’s potential contribution to defeating global hunger and
alleviating poverty, the United Nations has proclaimed 2008 the International Year of
the Potato.
The global potato sector has to cope with many different developments, such as
changes in consumers’ diets, a growing trend towards convenience food and a
healthy lifestyle. Supermarket chains and the processing industry are becoming ever
more influential, competition is growing and consumers are demanding traceable,
sustainable production. Another important development is the increasing acreage of
other crops, for example those grown for the production of energy. And then there
are the factors of climate change and better possibilities of communication.
Potato breeders constantly face the exciting challenge of responding to such
developments by marketing new varieties to optimally meet consumers’ wishes.
Considering the great success of Dutch varieties worldwide, the breeders of the
Dutch seed potato range are obviously doing an excellent job. Every year, the
Netherlands exports around 700,000 tonnes of high-quality seed potatoes to more
than 70 countries all over the world.
Especially as far as seed potatoes are concerned, the Netherlands occupies a
leading position. This is partly due to our country’s favourable geographical location,
with a low risk of virus diseases, and its fertile soil. Also very important is our
inspection organisation NAK (Nederlandse Algemene Keuringsdienst; Dutch General
Inspection Service for Agricultural Seed and Seed Potatoes), our fundamental,
practice-oriented research and good infrastructure.
But the key sources of the Netherlands’ high productivity are good entrepreneurship,
innovative entrepreneurs, effi cient chain organisation and our wide range of
varieties, which we constantly improve to meet the wishes of consumers all over
the world. Foreign users of Dutch seed potatoes want potato varieties with specifi c
characteristics, geared to their local conditions where possible. A new variety can
succeed only after many years of trials and selection in the world’s main potatogrowing
areas.
Since 1975 the Netherlands Catalogue of Potato Varieties has been published on
a regular basis. The catalogue contains a selection of varieties marketed by Dutch
breeders, mainly potato varieties that are annually produced in the Netherlands on
an acreage of more than 40 hectares. In the present catalogue, several varieties
have been replaced by promising new ones that will become increasingly important
for the potato industry. In view of the positive experiences with the catalogue’s
availability on the internet, the 2007 edition will also be accessible online in seven
languages at www.potato.nl. The printed version will only be available in English.
We hope that this 13th revised edition of the Netherlands Catalogue of Potato
Varieties, combined with the multilingual internet version, will find its way to all
parts of the world, to contribute towards the further development of the potato
industry in all areas. The right variety combined with the availability of high-quality
seed potatoes is an essential prerequisite for profitable and sustainable cultivation.
In the years to come, still many countries may experience to double their production
by using the most suitable Dutch seed potatoes and the right cultivation methods.
The information in the 2007 Catalogue of Potato Varieties offers you essential
support for obtaining an optimum potato crop.
We would like to thank everyone who contributed to this publication, and also our
sponsors LTO and NAO.
Mr. R. van Diepen,
managing-director of the NIVAP, the Netherlands Potato Consultative Foundation
The Hague, 2007.
