Potatoes are genetically modified in a field trial

Around a thousand Swiss farms have given up potato cultivation in the last ten years, wrote Agroscope, the federal government's competence center for agricultural research, on Tuesday.

More frequent diseases and pest infestations, restrictions on the use of pesticides and extreme weather conditions have led to yield losses and made successful potato cultivation more difficult.

A cisgene taken from a wild potato is introduced into the potatoes released on the protected site in Reckenholz ZH. According to Agroscope, this should be effective against the "world's most important potato disease", late blight.

The resistance gene provides a natural defense against the late blight fungus. The field trial creates the basis for further research into more disease-resistant potato varieties that are more tolerant to drought and heat.

According to the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), the trial will run from spring 2026 to fall 2030 and should provide information on how the potatoes behave in the field. During the release trial, Agroscope must ensure that the genetically modified material does not spread outside the field.

The cultivation of genetically modified plants for research purposes is subject to authorization in Switzerland. Genetically modified plants are not permitted in agricultural production - there is a moratorium on this until the end of 2030.