The International Potato Center (CIP) and Poderosa S.A. introduce three innovative potato varieties aimed at boosting yields and reducing agrochemical dependence.
The International Potato Center (CIP), in partnership with Poderosa S.A., has unveiled three new potato varieties: CIP Poderosa Crocante, CIP Poderosa Watia, and CIP Poderosa Pollera. These novel types boast high dry matter content, low reducing sugar concentration, and resistance to Phytophthora infestans (late blight). These characteristics enable smallholder farmers to reduce their reliance on agrochemicals while increasing their yields.
These new cultivars offer significant benefits to both farmers and consumers. For farmers, the reduced need for fungicides to control late blight translates to lower production costs and healthier working conditions. For consumers, the potatoes promise lower levels of acrylamides and glycoalkaloids due to fewer fungicides used during cultivation.
“These varieties enhance economic profitability through lower production costs due to reduced fungicide use, compared to control varieties,” experts from the International Potato Center stated in a recent press release. “They offer healthier and more sustainable options than popular Peruvian potato varieties, thereby improving living standards for potato producers in Peru and other developing countries.”
The Poderosa S.A. mining firm, located in La Libertad, Peru—a key potato-producing region—collaborates with local NGOs to foster sustainable growth in farming communities. The partnership with CIP was driven by consumer demand for improved potato varieties that are both healthier and more environmentally sustainable.
The innovative varieties resulted from the project “Selection of potato clones suitable for industrial processing and baking, resistant to late blight, and producing high-quality phytosanitary tuber seed.” This initiative was sponsored by the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia e Innovacion del Peru (CONCYTEC) and funded by Minera Poderosa Company through Law 30309, which incentivizes scientific research, technological development, and technical innovation with tax benefits for companies partnering with research organizations.
Poderosa S.A. supports economic and social progress in the La Libertad region and is currently backing a three-year plan to disseminate these varieties. The company shares related information through publications and social media to maximize outreach.
The new potato varieties are available for licensing to certified seed producers registered with the Peruvian Seed Authority (SENASA). CIP has applied for plant variety protection under UPOV and Peruvian legislation and can issue commercial production licenses. In alignment with CIP’s mandate, licensees must provide seeds to smallholder farmers at preferential rates and contribute to the Benefit Sharing Fund of the International Plant Treaty, which supports conservation and sustainable use projects in developing countries.
This dissemination strategy aligns with Peruvian national priorities to ensure the availability and affordability of high-quality seeds for farmers. Recognition is also given to local governments, including the District Municipality of Chugay and the Provincial Municipality of Sánchez Carrión in La Libertad, and farmers from Huánuco, Junín, Arequipa, and Cajamarca, who participated in field research.
