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In October, Potatoes USA convened breeders, processors, and growers at the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Potato Research Station in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, for the National Fry Processors Trial (NFPT) Field Day. Participants graded candidate varieties, generating data that determines which selections advance toward commercialization.
Each season, breeding programs from around the country submit candidates — all potential new frozen processing potatoes — into the trials. Those candidates are grown at trial sites in multiple states, including Maine, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The resulting data and samples are then sent to East Grand Forks, where the group conducts visual ratings and reviews each candidate’s performance.
Field Day participants evaluated candidates based on traits like yield; specific gravity; shape; length-to-width ratio and correct sizing; external and internal defects; flesh color; disease resistance, resistance to shatter and blackspot bruising, fry color, and sugar levels throughout storage.
At its core, the process is about finding new varieties that work better for everyone in the supply chain — and finding them faster than any single program could do alone — so growers can produce a good crop that meets consumers’ needs.
The system has a track record. Since launching in 2011, NFPT has graduated nine russet varieties for commercial use, planted on more than 14,000 seed acres in 2024. Successful varieties include Clearwater Russet, Dakota, Caribou, Lakeview, Teton, Mountain Gem, Hamlin, and Galena.
“This system lets us generate the data to evaluate candidates against each other in a systematic way, and it brings data-driven decision making to find the best variety,” said Tim Rendall, Director of Production Research at Potatoes USA. “It connects the whole supply chain — breeders, processors, and growers working together. The trials help bring new varieties to market; Without the NFPT, bringing a successful new variety to market would be more expense and more difficult.