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Open day: Potato research celebrates Rudolf Schick in MV!
On June 14, 2025, the Groß Lüsewitz research campus will celebrate Rudolf Schick's 120th birthday with an open day for potato research.
Open day: Potato research celebrates Rudolf Schick in MV!
On June 14, 2025, the Groß Lüsewitz research campus opened its doors to all potato lovers and researchers. On the occasion of the 120th birthday of the agricultural scientist and breeder Rudolf Schick, the event was a homage to a pioneer of potato breeding. Welt.de reports that numerous visitors were able to find out about the latest developments and challenges in potato research.
Rudolf Schick, a native of Rostock who was born in 1905, was not only a breeder, but also a professor and at times rector of the University of Rostock. His life's work includes setting up the Institute for Plant Breeding in Groß Lüsewitz, where he made a significant contribution to plant research until his death in 1969. Schick's comprehensive career, which was shaped by his teacher Erwin Baur, among others, can be found on the Wikipedia page: Wikipedia.
Tradition meets innovation
The motto of the event “Innovation needs tradition” made clear the need to incorporate old knowledge into modern research. Thilo Hammann, deputy head of the Julius Kühn Institute, reminded us that the ideal potato will always remain a dream. Different tastes and preferences make it almost impossible to breed a universally perfect strain.
Currently, potatoes must have up to 60 defined characteristics, ranging from taste to skin thickness. Particularly discussed were the challenges caused by late blightPhytophthora infestans, brings with it. This disease causes significant crop losses worldwide and compromised over 20% of the total potato crop.
The Potato: A Piece of History
But where do potatoes actually come from? Originally comes fromSolanum tuberosumfrom the Andes in Bolivia and Peru. In the 16th century, sailors brought them to Europe. Although the tuber was initially considered poisonous, Frederick the Great recognized its value and promoted its cultivation in Pomerania in order to secure food supplies. Today, Germany is still the EU's largest potato producer with 12.7 million tons, with around 575,000 tons being harvested in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania alone - a considerable increase of around 8% compared to the previous year.
In total there are more than 3,000 varieties of potatoes, many of them bred for specific uses, be it for French fries or starch production. About 60% of the annual harvest is used as food, while 30% is used to make starch - a versatile raw material that even has a place in toothpaste.
Potato research will remain crucial to meet current challenges and meet the high demand for different varieties. The open door in Groß Lüsewitz was a step in the right direction to further promote the exchange between tradition and innovation.