By Dickens Okinyi
As the world prepares for the 30th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP30), scientists have unveiled a new potato variety that could give struggling farmers a fighting chance against one of agriculture’s oldest enemies: late blight.
This fast-spreading fungal-like disease that rots potato leaves and tubers, destroying entire harvests if left unchecked, causes annual losses of up to USD 10 billion globally.
With climate change worsening the problem, pushing the disease to higher altitudes, a new potato variety, CIP-Asiryq, developed by scientists at the International Potato Center (CIP) in Lima, Peru is offering hope.
Created in collaboration with Indigenous communities, the variety resists the devastating late blight, requires fewer fungicide sprays, and cooks 25% faster than Peru’s popular Yungay variety. It’s also versatile enough for both table and processing markets, making it a valuable addition to farms and food industries alike.
“Late blight costs billions of dollars every year in lost production,” said Dr. Stefan Schmitz, executive director of the Crop Trust. “The new resistant variety gives potato farmers an option that can reduce losses, cut costs, and strengthen food security in Peru and around the world. It’s good news for everyone who likes potatoes.”
The story of CIP-Asiryq, pronounced “asir-eek”, is one of science meeting tradition. Researchers turned to Solanum cajamarquense, a wild relative of the potato conserved in the CIP genebank in Lima.
This genebank holds the world’s largest collection of potato diversity, safeguarding genetic treasures that can help crops adapt to changing climates. The breeding effort was part of the Crop Wild Relatives project, later expanded under the Biodiversity for Opportunities, Livelihoods and Development (BOLD) initiative, both led by the Crop Trust and funded by the Government of Norway. These global collaborations ensured that smallholder farmers, especially in the Andes, had a voice in shaping the solution.
“Late blight has been a huge burden to potato farmers everywhere, so the development of a new resistant variety is a major step forward for food systems – in the Andes and beyond,” said Dr. Thiago Mendes, a CIP scientist and lead of the BOLD potato pre-breeding project. “CIP-Asiryq is also remarkable for its versatility. Farmers in Huánuco noted its potential for both fresh consumption and processing, giving producers more flexibility to meet market demand.”
The impact of late blight is immense. In Peru, the disease can wipe out entire harvests, slashing yields by up to 100% in some areas. Farmers often rely on fungicides, but these can eat up 10–25% of a crop’s total value. In the humid valleys of the central Andes, spraying can occur as often as six times a month, cutting into profits and harming both human and environmental health.
CIP-Asiryq provides a practical solution. With its resistance to late blight, the variety reduces the need for excessive fungicide use while maintaining high yields and excellent cooking quality. It also meets industrial standards for potato chips, making it attractive to both farmers and processing companies.
“This potato variety was developed for fresh consumption, not specifically for processing, but some producers do grow for the processing industry,” said Raul Ccanto, coordinator of the agrobiodiversity area of the Yanapai Group, which worked closely with farmers during the project. “Small-scale farmers will be happy to earn more by selling to this market, and so will the processing companies.”
The success of CIP-Asiryq underscores the importance of teamwork in tackling agricultural challenges. The project brought together international research institutions, local organizations like Yanapai, and the Indigenous farmers who have cultivated potatoes for generations. Their combined knowledge and dedication created a variety that balances scientific precision with traditional wisdom.
Beyond Peru, the variety is already inspiring new initiatives. Dr. Mendes, now based in Kenya, is using CIP-Asiryq as a foundation to develop late blight-resistant potatoes suited to the East African highlands. Similar projects under the BOLD program are helping farmers in Kazakhstan, Morocco, and Vietnam with other crops like alfalfa, wheat, and rice.
“This new wild relative-derived potato variety offers a powerful testament to the real-world impact of global collaboration,” said Dr. Benjamin Kilian, BOLD project coordinator at the Crop Trust. “Crop diversity is a precious resource that can deliver meaningful climate solutions to farmers – and food systems – all around the world.”
