US fry processors grade candidate varieties at NFPT field day in Minnesota
Potatoes USA gathered breeders, processors and growers in Oct 2026 at the USDA-ARS Potato Research Station in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, to grade candidate frozen-fry varieties in the National Fry Processors Trial. Their ratings decide which selections move toward commercial use. Since 2011 the trial has released nine russet varieties.
Why it matters
New fry varieties shape raw-material quality for years: fry color, sugars in storage, bruising and shape all drive plant yield and rejects. A shared national screen lets processors judge candidates on common data before committing seed acres, cutting the cost and risk of switching varieties.
Potatoes USA held the National Fry Processors Trial (NFPT) field day in Oct 2026 at the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Potato Research Station in East Grand Forks, Minnesota. Breeders, processors and growers rated candidate varieties, and the results feed the decision on which selections go forward toward commercialization, according to a Potatoes USA article published on 12 Nov 2026.
How does the trial work?
US breeding programs submit clones intended as new frozen processing potatoes. These are grown side by side at trial sites in Maine, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Data and tuber samples from all sites are then brought to East Grand Forks, where participants carry out visual ratings and review how each candidate performed.
Which traits are scored?
The evaluation covers yield, specific gravity, shape, length-to-width ratio and sizing, external and internal defects, flesh color and disease resistance. Candidates are also checked for resistance to shatter and blackspot bruising, for fry color, and for sugar levels through storage, a key factor for year-round fry quality.
What has the program delivered so far?
Since it started in 2011, the NFPT has graduated nine russet varieties for commercial use. Together they were planted on more than 14,000 seed acres in 2024. Varieties that have come through the program include Clearwater Russet, Dakota, Caribou, Lakeview, Teton, Mountain Gem, Hamlin and Galena.
Potatoes USA presents the trial as a single, formal route for testing candidates against each other before they reach commercial scale, which it says lowers the cost and risk of developing new varieties. The article does not give the number of candidates graded or the number of participants at the 2026 field day.
Key numbers
Sources
- National Fry Processors Trial Field Day Puts Candidate Fry Varieties to the Test · Potatoes USA (primary source)