This is a final research report from Hort Innovation’s historical archives. Please note that as these reports may date back as far as the 1990s, the content and recommendations within them may be superseded by more recent research.

What was it all about?

The evaluation and identification of new French fry cultivars with improved processing and agronomic characteristics adapted to different production regions of Australia was essential for the French fry Potato Industry to remain competitive, profitable and sustainable.

New Varieties needed to have yield and French fry processing parameters equal to or greater than existing processing varieties. Cultivar selection required the variety to have improved specific French fry quality parameters and for stable high yields. Variety's needed to be efficient or required reduced inputs such as Chemical and Fertilisers to have minimum impact on the environment and reduce the costs of production increasing grower returns.

McCain Foods (Aust) Pty Ltd and Safries Pty Ltd in partnership with the McCain growers groups in Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania and the Safies grower group in South Australia along with matching funds from Hort Innovation (which was then Horticulture Australia Limited) tested potential new potato lines for the French fry industry over the previous twelve months. Trials were conducted in Ben-igan (N.S.W). Ballarat (Victo1-ia). Fothside (Tasmania) and Penola (Sth Australia).

This project. which was in its first year under changed testing agreements between industry and DPI Victoria, had evaluated and identified potential new varieties for the French fry Indushy. Under previous evaluation projects some varieties were selected as potential replacements and these continued to be evaluated.

Further evaluation of breeding lines across production environments was needed to determine their potential for commercialisation. It was planned that this project was continued next season to carry out further evaluation of some highly potential varieties.