"In the movie 'The Martian,' the protagonist is left stranded on Mars and survives by cultivating potatoes in a food-deprived situation. In reality, NASA initiated experiments in 2016 to simulate the cultivation of potatoes in a Martian environment. What mystical power does the potato possess that it becomes the darling crop for space missions? Potatoes rank as the world's third-largest food crop, grown in regions ranging from humid plains to arid highlands. According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the water productivity of potatoes, corn, wheat, and rice ranges from 6.2 to 11.6 Kg/m3, 1.2 to 2.3 Kg/m3, 0.6 to 1.9 Kg/m3, and 0.5 to 1.1 Kg/m3, respectively. This indicates that in times of extreme climate events like droughts, potatoes emerge as a highly promising crop for stable and sustainable food production.

Twenty years ago, potato cultivation in Taiwan spanned merely 1,700 hectares. Presently, it has escalated to 2,700 hectares, annually supplying around 61,000 metric tons for domestic processing and fresh consumption. It holds significance as a crucial winter crop and plays a pivotal role in vegetable storage during summer. To synergize various resources for the potato industry's advancement, the Taiwan Potato Production and Marketing Strategy Alliance was formally established on October 16th in 2023. It amalgamates frontline farmers, agricultural associations, agricultural product retailers, and processing plants. It sets up three taskforces for production control, marketing channels, and processing coordination, aiming to integrate efforts for systematic cultivation management, graded procurement, and innovative marketing. The alliance endeavors to address issues like comprehensive disease control in fields, labor shortages in agriculture, and slow alignment between production and demand, collectively propelling the upgrade of Taiwan's potato industry.

Healthy seed potatoes serve as the primary defense against field diseases. Since 2009, the Seed and Seedling Improvement Station of the Council of Agriculture has cooperated with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency Ministry of Agriculture to produce and verify original seed potatoes, adhering to the 'Guidelines for the Verification of Potato Seed Diseases.' These verified seeds are then provided to regional agricultural associations and production cooperatives for expansion cultivation. Collaborations with agricultural improvement stations in various regions further ensure compliance with relevant standards in the seed potato production process, ultimately providing farmers with disease-free healthy seed potatoes, ensuring the sustainable production of potatoes.

In recent years, the seedling station has developed a new potato variety, ' TSS No.6 ' suitable for both processing and fresh consumption. This variety exhibits better resistance to late blight and environmental adaptability compared to the mainstream 'Kennebec' variety. It is particularly suitable for winter cultivation in Taiwan. TSS No.6 successfully underwent variety rights examination in 2023 and entered the disease verification system in 2022. It is anticipated to be authorized for production in 2024, offering the industry a healthy and high-quality new choice."

▲Fig.1 The inaugural conference of the Taiwan Potato Production and Marketing Strategy Alliance was attended by representatives from various organizations as distinguished guests		▲Fig.2 The inaugural conference of the Taiwan Potato Production and Marketing Strategy Alliance attracted enthusiastic participation from various sectors.
▲Fig.3 Plants of TSS No 6. grown in the field.		▲Fig.4 Short oval potato tubers with yellow skin of TSS No 6.
▲Fig.5 cross-section of TSS No 6.		▲Fig.6 The production of TSS No 6. has obtained the breeders seed (G1) certification. Upon variety rights authorization, verified seed potatoes can be supplied to industry stakeholders with guaranteed quality