ACC Canada Gold-Dorée could soon outstrip Yukon Gold
/by Emily Leeson
There’s a new potato in town and its name is AAC Canada Gold-Dorée. The new spud is yellow-skinned, pleasantly round, and, some say, even tastier than Yukon Gold. AAC Canada Gold-Dorée may just be setting the new gold standard for the fresh potato market in the country.
The new variety is licensed by New Brunswick-based and family-owned Canadian Eastern Growers Inc., which acquired the North American rights for 20 years back in 2017. AAC Canada Gold-Dorée is now poised to become available in most Metro supermarkets in Quebec and Ontario this year and to expand to other parts of the country in 2021.
André Côté, co-owner of Canadian Eastern Growers Inc. along with his brother Eric Côté, said the demand for the new variety is already very strong among producers.
“All the producers who have trialled AAC Canada Gold-Dorée have asked for as much as possible in the next year of production,” he said. “We are on the increase as fast as available through both the New Brunswick and Quebec seed system.”
Located just outside Drummond, N.B., the Côté family farm started out in 1976 with 50 acres of seed potatoes. Since then, the family has expanded the farm to more than 400 acres planted to more than 30 varieties of seed potatoes and 400-plus acres of rotational crops. They also do extensive trialling of more than 35 new potato varieties annually. Among their successes are varieties such as Colorado Rose, Canela Russet, and AAC Valley Crisp.
As for AAC Canada Gold-Dorée, Côté said they’re in the “ramping up process” and expect to have more than 50,000 hundredweight of seed available by the spring of 2022.
It’s not just its flavour and shape that has producers interested in the new variety. It also has better disease resistance compared to Yukon Gold.
Erica Fava, a biologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in Fredericton, said AAC Canada Gold-Dorée is resistant to Potato virus Y (PVY), moderately resistant to scab, and slightly resistant to Late blight.
“This is a major improvement from Yukon Gold, which is susceptible to PVY and common scab,” said Fava. “Not only do these improvements make it easier for the growers to get a greater marketable yield, it may also help growers to reduce the number of pesticide sprays – saving the grower money and effort while reducing impact and risk to the environment.”
While the new variety is about to spring onto the marketplace, it’s had a long journey. Fava said the original cross that resulted in AAC Canada Gold-Dorée was made back in 2008.
“The breeder of this variety, Agnes Murphy, selected a male and a female parent she thought might make ‘a good couple,’ hoping that the good traits of each parent would combine into progeny that would meet the needs of industry,” explained Fava.
In this case, the female N634-7 was crossed with a male plant of the commercial variety AC Chaleur.
In 2009, seed was sown in a greenhouse and the resulting tubers were then planted in 2010 at the Benton Ridge Substation near Woodstock, N.B. What would eventually become known as AAC Canada Gold-Dorée was selected from a single hill trial at the substation in 2010. It was one of a number of selections that showed promise and were then grown in trials in New Brunswick, P.E.I., Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.
“Many of these locations will run field events to give industry a sneak peek at what is coming and to give the industry members an opportunity to give feedback,” said Fava. “The feedback is very important, as it helps guide the breeders in the breeding decisions and the selection of future parents for future varieties.”
The top candidates from the national trials are then presented to industry members to plant and evaluate for their own purposes. And if a seed grower thinks a selection shows promise, they can submit a bid for exclusive rights.
As for AAC Canada Gold-Dorée, Canadian Eastern Growers Inc. has the licence for North America, and Sinonies Entreprise Inc. of Dieppe, N.B., holds the licence for the “world territory.”
“The development of a successful variety is a collaborative effort,” said Fava. “Canadian-developed varieties are so important for Canadian growers, regardless of whether they come from the AAFC program or another program. Only Canadian breeders breed varieties adapted for Canada’s climates and regions, and for the qualities Canadian growers’ clients are looking for.”
She added that it will take some time to determine AAC Canada Gold-Dorée’s full potential.
“The true test of a variety is its acceptance and uptake by the industry and consumers,” said Fava.
