Hungarian Connection
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The Sárvári family from the Lake Balaton region in Hungary have been breeding potatoes for high resistance to late blight for over 40 years. Breeding started when Dr Sárvári Snr was director of Keszthely Research Institute (now University of Pannonia Georgikon Faculty of Agriculture, Potato Research Centre). His Soviet bosses wanted a hardy strain of potatoes for growing across the USSR which would survive the ravages of climate and disease. Using South American and Mexican wild potato material from the Vavilov collection, genes conferring resistance to common viruses (including PVX, PVY, PLRV) were soon bred into his stocks. Resistance to late-blight disease took a little longer but eventually, exceptionally high resistance was achieved. The breeding was continued privately by Dr Sárvári and his wife. While visiting potato trials in Romania, Scottish seed potato grower, Adam Anderson observed some plants surviving in a devastated field of blighted potatoes. The hunt was on and Adam tracked the plants down in 1994 to the Sárvári family. A company was soon formed to support the breeders, with Adam and other partners, including Scottish potato businessman, William Wedderspoon and the Danish Seed potato group, Danespo. The company built a small breeding station near the Sárvári family home in the village of Zirc, near Veszprém. The laboratory, greenhouse, potato store and experimental kitchen is surrounded by trial fields. Unfortunately, Dr Sárvári died in 1995 before any Sárpo potatoes had been commercialized. The good work continues with sons Dr István Sárvári Jnr., Dr Balázs Sárvári and their mother, Dr M. Sárvári. Promising new clones are sent to the Sárvári Research Trust to allow them to be finally selected for commercialization. Sárvári + potato = Sárpo Pronounced Sharvari pronounced Sharpo |
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