Breeding and research
Potatoes for new challenges.
How new varieties are created
Norika develops potato varieties with a clear focus: robust in the field, stable in yield and reliable in processing.
Our breeding facility in Groß Lüsewitz has been working under practical conditions for decades – in any terrain, with long cultivation breaks and specialized partner farms.
Testing
Climate and soil decide.
Our candidate varieties are tested in different regions around the world – under coastal conditions as well as in continental locations.
This allows us to recognize early on how stable a variety candidate reacts to soil, weather and disease pressure. The results flow directly into further breeding.
Our breeding path
11 years of work for a new variety. Maybe.
Year 1 - 3
The one from many
Controlled crossbreeding produces around 120,000 genotypes – i.e. individual genetic combinations – from around 250 parent lines.
These young plants are first tested in the greenhouse and then in their first year in the field.
This is where it is decided early on which combinations are fundamentally vital, healthy and capable of development.
Year 4 - 8
Whoever says A ...
Promising genotypes are propagated and continued as A strains.
The requirements are systematically tightened through levels B, C, D and finally E: yield, tuber shape, disease resistance, starch properties, suitability for cooking and processing as well as storage behavior.
The number of candidates decreases significantly with each level, while the depth of data increases.
Year 9 - 10
Get out of here!
The few remaining candidates enter the two-year assessment.
There they are tested by official testing institutions at various locations – in different soils and climate zones – for leaf and tuber.
The assessments include agronomic characteristics, quality parameters and suitability for the respective production goals.
Authorization
Hopp or Top?
Only candidates that convince both internally and in the independent value test in all relevant criteria are approved as a new variety.
As a result, 2-3 candidates ultimately emerge from the initial genetic breadth as new Norika varieties. We thus develop an average of 2-3 high-performance varieties per year from several breeding processes simultaneously.
Year 1 - 3
The one from many
Controlled crossbreeding produces around 120,000 genotypes – i.e. individual genetic combinations – from around 250 parent lines.
These young plants are first tested in the greenhouse and then in their first year in the field.
This is where it is decided early on which combinations are fundamentally vital, healthy and capable of development.
Year 4 - 8
Whoever says A ...
Promising genotypes are propagated and continued as A strains.
The requirements are systematically tightened through levels B, C, D and finally E: yield, tuber shape, disease resistance, starch properties, suitability for cooking and processing as well as storage behavior.
The number of candidates decreases significantly with each level, while the depth of data increases.
Year 9 - 10
Get out of here!
The few remaining candidates enter the two-year assessment.
There they are tested by official testing institutions at various locations – in different soils and climate zones – for leaf and tuber.
The assessments include agronomic characteristics, quality parameters and suitability for the respective production goals.
Authorization
Hopp or Top?
Only candidates that convince both internally and in the independent value test in all relevant criteria are approved as a new variety.
As a result, 2-3 candidates ultimately emerge from the initial genetic breadth as new Norika varieties. We thus develop an average of 2-3 high-performance varieties per year from several breeding processes simultaneously.
Where it all begins
The exciting path to the new variety
Breeding station Groß Lüsewitz
The best climate for research.
Our customers’ product innovations and the growing challenges posed by climate change and new pests are constantly increasing the demand for new potato varieties.
Thanks to our continuous work in variety development, we can respond to this with modern, high-performance varieties.
The “healthy situation” of our breeding station offers the best conditions for this.
The added value
Strong arguments
High and stable yield
Best tuber shape and sensory properties
High and suitable starch content for market segments
Consistent and reliable processing quality
Good shelf life and pronounced dormancy
Market-oriented properties for food and industry
Innovation
Breeding for the future
Norika’s own research activities provide it with modern breeding tools and valuable new genetic resources from the globally available potato gene pool.
The continuous establishment of modern technologies, digital recording, field scoring and structured data models are just as much a part of daily breeding work as the use of genetic selection markers and the crossing of genes from wild potatoes.
The aim is to develop varieties faster, more precisely and more sustainably.
Low-input varieties
Achieving more with less
Many regions work with reduced fertilizer and crop protection strategies. Norika develops varieties that remain stable under such conditions: with natural disease resistance, good nutrient efficiency and reliable yields even with limited input. These characteristics are deliberately selected for in the breeding work.
Consulting and sales
We will help you find the right variety!
Norika stands for quality – and for reliable partnership. That is why we provide growers, processors and retailers with comprehensive support in cultivation, harvesting, storage and processing. Our experience in breeding and research ensures varieties that are convincing in every respect – whatever the conditions.
Together we will find the right variety for your success!
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