ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a model for involving Andean farmers in Participatory Varietal Selection of potatoes. It describes part of a recent project involving clones originating from the International Potato Center’s pre-breeding programme to incorporate new sources of resistance to late blight (Phytopthora infestans) and bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum) from wild species into cultivated varieties, and to achieve farmer acceptability, with commercial-level agronomic traits, good culinary quality and climate resilience. After two breeding cycles, selected clones displayed good commercial and culinary characteristics. Two contrasting highland Peruvian communities are examined here: one with a commercial interest in markets; the other based mainly on subsistence farming, with many women farmers due to male outmigration. Of the 17 original clones from the breeding programme, farmers identified five for a second year of trials, again with two farming communities. These clones originated in hybrids between wild species from northern Peru and cultivated diploid potatoes which were then crossed to selected breeding parents, duplicating the chromosome number of the progeny where some exhibited hybrid vigour and other desirable traits. These clones were first selected by breeders and then subjected to on-farm participatory evaluation to assess their performance on marginal lands and enable selection for farmer-preferred traits.
