BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 9, 2022
Maine potato researchers have 45,000 new varieties in various testing stages each year, but now they are grappling with breeding tubers that can weather a warming climate. Today’s spuds are bred to have certain attributes — disease and pest resistance, proper moisture levels for processing and more. Changing climate trends have sparked a greater urgency to create varieties that can grow better with the warmer temperatures and increased rain predicted for Maine.