GM Potatoes

There’s been quite a lot of discussion this week about trials that are starting at the John Innes institute on a genetically modified potato that has taken genes from a blight resistant wild potato. I’m surprised that there has been no mention of the fact that there is already a reliably blight resistant range of potatoes available that have been bred by conventional (and far less controversial) methods.  The Sarpo blight resistant potatoes originated in Hungary.  Even on our blight-ridden allotment site they do not succumb.