As growers worldwide grapple with the end – or foreseeable end – of chlorpropham (CIPC) use in potato storage facilities, a UK-based collaboration is chipping away at one of potato storage’s thorniest challenges: how to keep tubers dormant longer using fewer chemicals, less energy, and reduced waste.
Cranfield University, in partnership with PepsiCo and Solynta, is leveraging physiological, genomic, and breeding innovation to reengineer dormancy itself.
Background: Dormancy, CIPC, and the Storage Squeeze
In the UK, approximately 1.5 million tonnes of potatoes are held in cold storages for up to eight months to supply year-round demand. [Food Manufacture] reports that without reliable sprout suppression, storage windows risk collapsing.
CIPC has long been a linchpin chemical for suppressing sprout growth. Its withdrawal (driven by regulatory and safety pressures) has created a vacuum with no drop-in substitute of equivalent cost or efficacy.
Against this backdrop, the Cranfield–PepsiCo–Solynta collaboration aims to rediscover dormancy as a trait—not just a managed state. Their project, “Understanding Potato Endodormancy,” runs through 2026 and is jointly funded via BBSRC FoodBioSystems, PepsiCo, and Solynta.
Project Strategy & Innovation Pillars
The project is organized around three interlinked objectives:
- Phenotyping and environmental modeling
Researchers are evaluating endodormancy in two potato cultivars under a gradient of nitrogen regimes across multiple harvests. This helps isolate how environment and nutrient status influence dormancy depth and duration. - Genetic and mapping efforts
A panel of ~30 potato varieties is being screened for variation in dormancy traits. Then, mapping populations will be developed to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and candidate genes tied to extended dormancy. - Predictive modeling and breeding integration
The phenotypic and genomic data sets will feed predictive models. These models will help simulate dormancy behavior under variable storage regimes and accelerate incorporation of favorable alleles.
Because Solynta operates a hybrid true potato seed (TPS) platform, promising genes or alleles can be stacked more quickly than in classical clonal breeding.
Another allied project, “Enhancing Potato Dormancy,” explicitly aims to dissect physiological foundations and provide breeder support for dormancy-enhanced lines.
In parallel, Cranfield is linked to a project titled “Implementing novel, cost-effective alternatives to CIPC,” which seeks complementary strategies such as lower-cost sprout suppressants and storage method refinements.
Challenges & Uncertainties
- Complexity of dormancy: Endodormancy is regulated by interacting hormonal, metabolic, and epigenetic networks. Finding stable, robust alleles with minimal pleiotropic effects is nontrivial.
- Varietal trade-offs: A gene beneficial for dormancy might worsen other traits (yield, tuber size, skin quality). Breeders must balance multiple constraints.
- Environmental sensitivity: Dormancy expression is highly plastic. What works in UK storages might not translate cleanly to, say, tropical or semi-arid zones.
- Seed adoption lag: Even if superior lines emerge, adoption cycles (seed multiplication, regulatory clearance, grower uptake) can span several years.
Implications for the Industry
Unlocking dormancy at the genetic level could reshape the economics and logistics of potato production in profound ways.
1. Reduced reliance on chemical sprout suppressants
The industry has been scrambling for substitutes since CIPC’s withdrawal, turning to products like 1,4-DMN, ethylene, and spearmint oil. While effective in some contexts, these alternatives are costly and often less consistent. Varieties with naturally extended dormancy could reduce – or even eliminate – the need for repeated applications, lowering both input costs and regulatory compliance burdens.
2. Lower energy demands in storage
Currently, storage operators often rely on deeper cooling and aggressive ventilation cycles to slow sprouting. Dormancy-enhanced potatoes could allow facilities to operate at slightly higher temperatures or with fewer ventilation hours, translating into measurable energy savings at a time when power costs are volatile and carbon footprints are under scrutiny.
3. Greater supply chain stability
Longer dormancy would help smooth out year-round supply, particularly for processors who require consistent quality tubers for fries, crisps, and dehydrated products. By extending storage viability, processors could draw from the same inventory later into the season, reducing waste and stabilizing product flow to retail and foodservice markets.
4. Improved global market competitiveness
Regions that can deliver potatoes with longer storage life will have a strategic advantage in export markets. Dormancy traits could reduce the risk of sprouting during transit, especially in long-distance trade to Africa, Asia, or the Middle East where cold storage infrastructure is limited. This positions breeding advances not just as agronomic improvements, but as tools of trade competitiveness.
5. Stronger alignment with sustainability goals
Reducing chemical inputs, cutting energy demand, and lowering food waste all align with consumer and retailer expectations for more sustainable food systems. Dormancy-enhanced potatoes could become a selling point for sustainability-driven buyers and food companies under ESG reporting pressure.
6. New demands on breeders and seed systems
For breeders, dormancy traits will need to be stacked alongside yield, disease resistance, processing quality, and climate resilience. This adds complexity to breeding programs but also creates an opportunity for seed companies to differentiate themselves with premium genetics. Seed certification systems may eventually adapt to recognize and promote dormancy traits as part of varietal descriptors.
7. Wider relevance to emerging markets
In many developing regions, where cold chain facilities are limited, sprouting during storage leads to heavy post-harvest losses. Dormancy-enhanced potatoes could transform local markets by giving farmers and traders more time to sell tubers without costly infrastructure upgrades, directly improving incomes and food security.
8. Policy and investment implications
Governments and industry groups may find strategic reasons to invest in this research – whether through grants, subsidies, or public-private partnerships – given the potential for reduced waste, improved efficiency, and lower environmental impact.
In sum, genetic control of dormancy has the potential to move from a technical curiosity to a cornerstone of global potato storage strategy, reshaping how growers, processors, and retailers approach the crop from harvest to consumer.
Perspectives et prochaines étapes
The potato industry now sits at an inflection point where storage science, plant physiology, and modern breeding are converging. While chemical sprout control once offered a relatively simple fix, the current shift toward genetic and systems-based solutions will demand broader collaboration across the supply chain.
In the near term, researchers will focus on publishing genetic markers linked to dormancy and validating these in diverse storage environments. If stable alleles can be identified, seed companies could begin incorporating dormancy traits into pre-commercial lines within the next three to five years. Solynta’s hybrid breeding platform will likely be one of the earliest testbeds, with potential pilot releases targeted for small-scale trials in Europe before 2030.
At the same time, agronomists and storage specialists will need to test how these new dormancy traits interact with existing management practices. For instance, a variety bred for longer dormancy might allow lower storage temperatures or reduced use of alternative suppressants like ethylene or mint oil. But practical integration will require recalibrating energy budgets, airflow strategies, and handling protocols across different storage facilities.
Globally, adoption timelines will vary. In Europe, where CIPC withdrawal has already forced radical change, demand for dormancy-enhanced varieties is highest. In North America, where regulators may follow with tighter restrictions, such innovations could shift from optional to essential. In developing regions, dormancy traits may also help stabilize fresh potato markets where cold chain infrastructure is limited and post-harvest losses are severe.
Finally, this line of research could expand beyond storage. Dormancy traits might intersect with seed performance, crop scheduling flexibility, and even the viability of shipping tubers into distant markets without heavy chemical use. The potential ripple effects stretch across farming, processing, and retail.
If the Cranfield–PepsiCo–Solynta collaboration succeeds, it may signal the dawn of a new era where potato storage relies less on external inputs and more on the intrinsic biology of the crop itself—a profound shift toward sustainability, resilience, and efficiency in the global potato economy.
Core Dimensions of the Vanishing Dormancy Challenge
| Aspect | Details | Examples & Evidence | Implications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Problem | The withdrawal of CIPC left a regulatory and practical gap in sprout suppression. Existing alternatives are costlier, less consistent, and often require repeated applications. | CIPC banned in the EU and UK in 2020; UK stores hold ~1.5 million tonnes for up to 8 months. Alternatives like 1,4-DMN, ethylene, and spearmint oil cost more and require precise application. | Higher input costs, greater risk of sprouting, potential for food waste, increased pressure on grower profitability. |
| Research Focus | Understanding genetic and physiological drivers of endodormancy to breed potatoes with naturally longer storage potential. | Cranfield University’s dormancy studies (2024–2026) funded by BBSRC FoodBioSystems, PepsiCo, and Solynta. Screening ~30 cultivars to identify dormancy variation. | Shifts emphasis from chemical control to biology-driven resilience. Creates foundation for new commercial breeding strategies. |
| Innovation Tools | Phenotyping under variable nitrogen regimes; QTL mapping for dormancy traits; predictive dormancy modeling; hybrid breeding through true potato seed. | Solynta’s hybrid TPS platform can integrate dormancy alleles faster than traditional clonal breeding. Predictive dormancy models to forecast sprouting behavior in storage. | Potential to cut breeding cycles, release dormancy-enhanced varieties earlier, and customize dormancy profiles for specific storage markets. |
| Challenges | Dormancy is influenced by environment, hormones, and metabolism; trade-offs may emerge between dormancy and yield/quality. Adoption requires system-wide changes in storage and handling. | Early dormancy breakthroughs may not translate across geographies. For example, a UK-bred variety may behave differently under Canadian or Indian storage conditions. | Uncertainty about consistency could delay grower confidence and uptake. Integration will require regional adaptation trials. |
| Industry Impact | Dormancy-enhanced potatoes could reduce reliance on chemical suppressants, cut energy use in storage, stabilize supply chains, and align with sustainability targets. | Potential for higher temperature storage, fewer ventilation hours, and lower reliance on costly suppressants. Better long-distance shipping potential to Africa and Asia where cold chains are weak. | Growers could save on inputs and energy; processors and exporters could extend storage windows and improve year-round quality consistency. |
| Global Relevance | Benefits extend beyond industrialized regions; dormancy traits could significantly reduce post-harvest losses in emerging markets. | In sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, storage losses can exceed 30 % due to lack of refrigeration and sprout control. | Dormancy traits could directly improve farmer income, food security, and reduce seasonal gluts or shortages. |
| Outlook | Dormancy-linked alleles may enter pre-commercial test lines within 3–5 years, with broader availability by early 2030s. Regulatory frameworks may support adoption as sustainability credentials become a selling point. | Pilot lines expected in Europe; North America may adopt later depending on regulatory pressure. Developing regions could leapfrog directly into dormancy genetics without cold chain upgrades. | Sets the stage for storage strategies rooted in crop biology rather than chemical inputs—a systemic shift in global potato management. |
References
Scientists chip away at potato storage problems – Cranfield (EurekAlert):
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1072204
Project seeks to extend potato storage life – Food Manufacture:
https://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/Article/2025/02/05/project-seeks-to-extend-potato-storage-life
Understanding potato endodormancy (project page):
https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/research-projects/understanding-potato-endodormancy
Enhancing potato dormancy project:
https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/research-projects/enhancing-potato-dormancy
Implementing novel, cost effective alternatives to CIPC:
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FM027295%2F1
New research is aiming to ensure consistent supplies of potatoes – Potato Business:
https://www.potatobusiness.com/storage/new-research-is-aiming-to-ensure-consistent-supplies-of-potatoes-throughout-the-year
Auteur : Lukie Pieterse, Potato News Today
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