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**Tom Wagner** · February 6, 2010

I waited three days before responding to this thread, thinking that if no one responds before I do, perhaps there is too little of interest in the variety Sarop Mira or the fact that certified seed will not be available for sale in Belgium this year. I think both!

AMBIORIX and I have visited to some length in the north of France and in Belgium, primarily Brussels. We had a little trouble in our conversation due to the language barriers and my hard of hearing difficulties to boot. We--mostly me---- had some heated conversations about Slow Foods and the seemingly lack of their interest in breeders like myself.

I have some great photos of Belgium before and after my public talks there. I talked about the Sarpo Mira potato variety and the need for more Late Blight resistance that this variety has. I visited small growers even to their gardens and dug around the hills of Sarpo Mira and Axona, both of which have a pedigree of 76.PO.12.14.268 x D187. I even had TPS seed of both collected and requested for further study. I am interested in the sibling varieties and even after my field visits in Wales with the Savari Trust, I think we can do better than either as culinary types, but perhaps not better in regards to their resistance to the blue 13 race of Late Blight. After eating the Sarpo Mira potatoes in Europe, I know I can do better in the flavor component and can hopefully correct some of the other flaws; setting tubers too close to the surface, not red enough by USA standards, too many scaby tubers, and a definite shape problem. I could not bring any tubers back with me but I already have some good clones from the TPS of Sarpo Mira and I have sent those out to folks here in the states as Sarpo Duro, Mira Mira, Sarpo Fingers, etc. My effort this year--2010-- will be to grow more progenies of Sarpo Mira and finish up the hybridization to the late blight differentials and race 8 resistance--especially---and further the broad spectrum resistance needed for the future.

I am sorry that Belgium growers will have to resort to planting back last year's potatoes if they want Sarpo Mira. Some of the new potatoes coming out this year include the Blue Danube, originally called Adam's Blue. I dug a few hills to eat while I was in Wales. But it wont have the foliar res. to LB since it does not have the Sarop name. All varieties that have L.B. res. will have that prefix, otherwise they will have stand alone names.

Trivia question: Who makes the best french fries? Belgium and the Haverskerque area of France. Hands down.

Tom Wagner

February 6, 2010	#2
Tom Wagner Crosstalk™ Forum Moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: 8407 18th Ave West 7-203 Everett, Washington 98204 Posts: 1,157	I waited three days before responding to this thread, thinking that if no one responds before I do, perhaps there is too little of interest in the variety Sarop Mira or the fact that certified seed will not be available for sale in Belgium this year. I think both! AMBIORIX and I have visited to some length in the north of France and in Belgium, primarily Brussels. We had a little trouble in our conversation due to the language barriers and my hard of hearing difficulties to boot. We--mostly me---- had some heated conversations about Slow Foods and the seemingly lack of their interest in breeders like myself. I have some great photos of Belgium before and after my public talks there. I talked about the Sarpo Mira potato variety and the need for more Late Blight resistance that this variety has. I visited small growers even to their gardens and dug around the hills of Sarpo Mira and Axona, both of which have a pedigree of 76.PO.12.14.268 x D187. I even had TPS seed of both collected and requested for further study. I am interested in the sibling varieties and even after my field visits in Wales with the Savari Trust, I think we can do better than either as culinary types, but perhaps not better in regards to their resistance to the blue 13 race of Late Blight. After eating the Sarpo Mira potatoes in Europe, I know I can do better in the flavor component and can hopefully correct some of the other flaws; setting tubers too close to the surface, not red enough by USA standards, too many scaby tubers, and a definite shape problem. I could not bring any tubers back with me but I already have some good clones from the TPS of Sarpo Mira and I have sent those out to folks here in the states as Sarpo Duro, Mira Mira, Sarpo Fingers, etc. My effort this year--2010-- will be to grow more progenies of Sarpo Mira and finish up the hybridization to the late blight differentials and race 8 resistance--especially---and further the broad spectrum resistance needed for the future. I am sorry that Belgium growers will have to resort to planting back last year's potatoes if they want Sarpo Mira. Some of the new potatoes coming out this year include the Blue Danube, originally called Adam's Blue. I dug a few hills to eat while I was in Wales. But it wont have the foliar res. to LB since it does not have the Sarop name. All varieties that have L.B. res. will have that prefix, otherwise they will have stand alone names. Trivia question: Who makes the best french fries? Belgium and the Haverskerque area of France. Hands down. Tom Wagner