A three-year (2007 2009) collaborative project was set up to identify the most important problems in potato production in the Russian Republic of Karelia. The project was funded by EU (Intereg/Tacis) and led by MTT Agrifood Research Finland Ruukki. The major cooperation partners were NorTech Oulu/ University of Oulu, University of Petrozavodsk, Finnish Seed Potato Centre Ltd, ProAgria Rural Advisory Center and Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira. The general aim of the project was to in-crease the potato yield and improve the crop quality and thereby guarantee self-sufficiency in potato production in the Republic of Karelia. To achieve this, the subsequent objectives were 1) to identify the most important diseases in potato production in the Republic of Karelia, 2) to assist in the production and maintenance of healthy seed material, 3) to compare Russian and Finnish cultivars in the Karelian conditions and 4) to determine the effect of the organic fertiliser on the growth and yield of potato. A field experiment was carried out in two consecutive growing seasons in a grower s field in Verhovje near Petrozavodsk in the Republic of Karelia to study the effects of a fertiliser (synthetic or organic) and a potato cultivar on crop growth, yield and the occurrence of diseases. Two commonly cultivated Russian cultivars, Aurora and Lado ki, and two Finnish cultivars, Saturna and Fambo, were chosen for the experiments. There were differences between cultivars in yield. Especially in the first year, this may have been due to the different background of the seed material, and in the case of Russian cultivars, to the high incidence of pathogens. Cultivar Fambo produced the greatest yield in both years, 31 t/ha in 2007 and 36 t/ha in 2008, whereas the average for the other cultivars was 19 t/ha and 31 t/ha, respec-tively. The type of fertiliser did not affect the yield or the incidence of the diseases indicating that the organic fertiliser is a good alternative to the synthetic fertilisers in Karelian conditions. The main disease problems were caused by Rhizoctonia stem canker and black scurf, and viruses. High incidence and severity of Rhizoctonia was observed in all cultivars. The infection by Rhizoctonia was both soil-borne, and in the case of Russian cultivars, also seed-borne. The use of seed dressing reduced the severity of the disease. Viral symptoms were observed during the growing season on all cultivars, but especially on the foliage of cultivars Aurora and Lado ki. The severity of the symptoms varied de-pending on the virus. Potato virus M and Y were the viruses most commonly detected. Disease free micropropagated material was successfully produced from the two Russian cultivars, Au-rora and Lado ki, using heat treatment, meristem culture and micropropagation. In the end of the project, the material was placed in the Basic Seed Bank established at the University of Petrozavodsk. The personnel responsible for the maintenance of the Seed Bank were given training in micro propaga-tion and other relevant topics in Finland at the laboratories of MTT Ruukki and Finnish Seed Potato Centre Ltd.