The Jeollanam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services, in collaboration with the Highland Agriculture Research Institute under the National Institute of Crop Science, held a “2026 Potato Regional Adaptability Test Field Evaluation” on June 15. The initiative aims to replace the widely cultivated but foreign-bred “Sumi” potato variety with new domestic cultivars better suited to withstand climate change. Approximately 20 experts from agricultural extension agencies nationwide attended the evaluation, where they assessed five new potato lines—including the promising “Daegwan 178″—comparing their growth characteristics and resistance to viral diseases against the existing benchmark varieties “Sumi” and “Daeseo.” Given that Jeollanam-do accounts for 2,959 hectares (14% of Korea’s total potato acreage), ranking third in spring potatoes and second in autumn potatoes, developing regionally adapted varieties has become increasingly critical for the province.
With rising incidents of drought, abnormal heat, and pest damage linked to climate change, the need for new cultivars with enhanced environmental adaptability and disease resistance has never been greater. The five tested lines, developed by provincial agricultural institutes and the Highland Agriculture Research Institute, will undergo three more years of regional adaptability trials before the final selections are made based on superior cultivation and processing characteristics. Selected lines will then proceed through variety protection applications and national variety registration. Ma Gyeong-cheol, Director of the Crop Research Division at Jeonnam Agricultural Institute, emphasized that this field evaluation is a crucial process for selecting the most suitable lines for the Jeonnam region by comprehensively comparing research results and national trial data, and pledged continued efforts to develop regionally optimized varieties and cultivation techniques.
