HZPC testing potato varieties for the salty soils in Egypt

Dutch agricultural company HZPC has tested a wide range of potato varieties in the saline soils of Egypt to determine the best ones to grow in the African country.

According to the statement of HZPC Breeding Manager Jeroen Bakker, field experiments were carried out with 51 potato varieties on soils with three levels of salinity. They made it possible to evaluate their survival in conditions of sandstorms and high concentrations of salts in water for irrigation of fields.

Several samples performed well, especially Sagitta, which proved to be almost exactly the same size and tuber quality as those grown on soils in Europe. Now HZPC plans to start supplying its seeds to farmers not only in Egypt but also in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other countries of the Middle East.