Private support vital to NDSU potato research
Asunta "Susie" Thompson's research has a clear impact on a major agricultural commodity. A potato breeder in NDSU's Department of Plant Sciences, she works tirelessly to develop potato varieties more resistant to disease.
"NDSU's potato breeding program has a long and proud history, and I really love my job," Thompson explained. "At NDSU, one of our great strengths, and a pillar that we were established on, is agriculture. We've always had a real knack for producing potato varieties that are high yielding and really pretty. But, collectively, we in agriculture have a big mission during the next few years, and that is to feed the world's rapidly growing population. We need to use every tool in our toolbox."
Thompson's work is currently focused on creating new cultivars resistant to disease pathogens, pests and stresses, including the pale cyst nematode and golden cyst nematodes. "We want to be more sustainable. To do that, we need potato varieties with resistance to disease and stress," she said. "In our work, we are trying to stack as many resistances together as we can."
The research takes talent, creativity and plenty of patience. It also takes money.
Private contributions are vital to the long-term success of her important work. Thompson has received support through two grants from the NDSU Development Foundation's Gordon A. Larson Agricultural Research Fund.
"By being awarded those grants, I was able to attain other grants and it just builds. One year, we used the funding to get a piece of equipment to do a better job with our potato clone bank, where we maintain the germplasm for our research. We use that equipment almost every day," Thompson said, noting other private funding sources include the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association, Minnesota Area II Potato Research and Promotion Council, potato processing companies, individual growers and local agri-businesses, which have helped her research through grants, equipment, chemicals, fertilizer and certified seed.
"It really doesn't matter how big a gift is," Thompson said. "All gifts help. Or if a person is interested in supporting a scholarship for graduate or undergraduate students, we need to remember that those students are the leaders of tomorrow."
Thompson earned her bachelor's and master's degrees at NDSU, and a doctorate in plant science from the University of Idaho. She joined the NDSU faculty in 2001, and is affiliated with the Potato Association of America and American Society of Horticultural Science.