Within the framework of the French Ecophyto Plan, the development of potato varieties resistant to biotic stresses is now an absolute need in order to reduce the use of pesticides. Indeed, potato crops require a considerable use of pesticides (mean Treatment Frequency Index = 16.6), because of their susceptibility to numerous pathogens, including Phytophthora infestans (late blight agent) and cyst nematodes. This document highlights the work that has been achieved by INRA since the 1980s in order to find and use appropriate resistance genes present in different wild accessions of Solanum tuberous species. During the past 20 years, this research activity has generated 729 innovative pre‐breeding lines, 80% of which carry new resistance genes to various pathogens. Since 1995, these lines have been released to French potato breeders, who can now develop new resistant varieties using this innovative germplasm. The potential environmental impact of such varieties is considerable, because they may enable reductions in very heavy chemical applications to soils contaminated by nematodes, speed the recovery of fields placed under quarantine control and assist in the control of potato late blight using only half the amount of pesticides compared to susceptible genotypes.