By Keith Rouse
David Douches, a Michigan State University (MSU) Distinguished Professor in the Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences, describes plant breeding as a career-long mission: “We are the scientists behind the scenes, creating potatoes that are better for the farmers, better for the industry, and ultimately better for the consumer.” For decades, he has focused on moving discoveries from the lab into growers’ fields—work that earned him the MSU Innovation Center’s Technology Transfer Achievement Award.
Potatoes are among the world’s most important staple crops, yet the innovations that keep them productive under shifting weather and disease pressure can be easy to miss. “Plant breeding is a long-term game of incremental gains,” Douches says. “Those small changes in germplasm drive the industry forward. My goal is to translate research into improved varieties that offer real economic resilience for growers.”
Extending the Season: The “Manistee” Impact
A key marker of Douches’ success is the “Manistee” variety, now widely used in the potato chip industry. When he first arrived at MSU, Michigan potatoes were typically stored only until March. “Today, thanks to traits bred for resilience and storage quality, Michigan growers can store crops until July,” he says—helping ensure a steady supply of Michigan-grown potatoes until the next fresh crop arrives. The longer processing window has helped stabilize planning and demand for growers and processors.
Manistee’s success was not only about storage quality, but also durability under real-world stress. During commercial testing, it withstood tough seasonal conditions that caused other candidates to fail. “Manistee stood out because of its sheer resilience,” Douches notes. “Seeing it thrive where others struggled confirmed its potential for a major industry release.”
A Sustainability Feedback Loop
The impact of Douches’ work extends beyond yield and into sustainability. By breeding genetic resistance to pests and diseases—such as scab, late blight (the disease behind the Irish Potato Famine), and the Colorado potato beetle—his program can reduce reliance on chemical interventions.
Source : msu.edu