New Potato Seed Breakthrough Could Transform Farming

Nearly everyone has seen a potato sprout in the pantry or even grown one from a chunk placed in water. But what many people don’t realize is that potatoes also produce seeds.

The reason farmers rarely use those seeds is simple: they’re unpredictable. Potato seeds produce plants with widely varying traits, including color, flavor, texture, maturity time, and disease resistance. Because of this unpredictability, farmers have relied for centuries on planting tubers, pieces of potato that sprout and grow into clones of the parent plant.

That practice may soon change.

A U.S. agricultural biotechnology company called Ohalo Genetics, founded in 2019, has developed a breakthrough that could reshape the potato industry. The company says it has created the first commercially viable “true potato seeds” (TPS) capable of producing uniform, high-performing potato crops.

The technology, known as Boosted Breeding, enables seeds to grow potatoes that consistently inherit the best traits from their parent plants, something traditional potato seeds have never reliably done.

The implications for farming could be significant.

Instead of planting bulky seed potatoes, farmers could plant small packets of seeds, which are far easier and cheaper to store and transport. Moving seed potatoes currently requires shipping large quantities of heavy tubers, which can be expensive and logistically challenging.

Another major advantage is crop health. Traditional seed potatoes can carry viruses, fungi, and bacteria from one growing season to the next. Seeds, however, start each crop clean and disease-free, reducing the risk of spreading plant diseases.

Early trials suggest the technology could also dramatically boost yields. Researchers report harvest increases ranging from 20 percent to 100 percent, largely because the plants begin healthier and grow more vigorously.

The innovation could be particularly valuable in regions with limited agricultural infrastructure, where transporting and storing tons of seed potatoes is difficult.

If widely adopted, true potato seeds could change how one of the world’s most important food crops is grown, offering farmers a simpler, cleaner, and potentially more productive way to plant their fields.

Grow Your Own Potatoes From Seeds: A Backyard Experiment

While Ohalo’s advanced seeds are currently available only to the agricultural industry, regular true potato seeds are already available online and can make for a fun backyard gardening experiment.

True potato seeds look tiny,  similar to tomato seeds, and can be purchased from specialty sellers online. Unlike the advanced commercial varieties, these seeds will produce a wide range of potato types, which is part of the fun. Gardeners may discover unique shapes, colors, or flavors.

Here’s how beginners can try it:

Start indoors early. Plant seeds six to eight weeks before the last frost in seed trays or small pots filled with potting mix.

Plant shallowly. Press the seeds lightly into moist soil and cover with a thin layer of mix. Keep them in a warm spot between 60 and 75 degrees with bright light.

Wait for germination. Sprouting usually takes one to three weeks, and the seedlings resemble tiny tomato plants.

Move outdoors after frost. Transplant seedlings 12 to 18 inches apart in full sun. As they grow, mound soil around the stems — the same “hilling” method used with regular potatoes.

Care for the plants. Keep the soil evenly moist, fertilize lightly, and watch for pests such as potato beetles.

Harvest after three to five months. When the tops die back, dig up the potatoes. The first crop may produce smaller or irregular tubers, but gardeners can save their favorite ones to replant next season.

Experts suggest starting small with a packet of 50 to 100 seeds. Gardeners in hot climates may want to plant in spring or fall to avoid extreme summer heat.

Best of all, experimenting with potato seeds could lead to something special.

You might even discover your own unique potato variety.