2005 Annual Report 1.What major problem or issue is being resolved and how are you resolving it (summarize project aims and objectives)? How serious is the problem? What does it matter? The nation and world needs a secure, accessible source of high quality potato genetic stocks as a foundation for breeding new potato varieties with enhanced disease and pest resistances, greater productivity and quality. This project acquires, classifies, preserves, evaluates and distributes such materials as a service to potato breeders and scientists worldwide. The project also conducts basic research providing knowledge for the efficient performance of the goals in this mission statement. It is much more efficient, saves money, and saves time to have a centralized effort to provide the services this project provides for the potato breeders and the potato industry, rather than every potato scientist worldwide attempting to do it for themselves. This is the only USDA project to provide potato genebank services in the U.S. 2.List the milestones (indicators of progress) from your Project Plan. Conduct remote field tuber growouts. Test DNA of seedling transplants. Test seed germination environmental factors. Provide germplasm information and advice. Aquire and incorporate new germplasm. Assess methods for high tuber calcium selection. Cross exotic late blight resistance into cultivated background. Select cold tolerant stocks for testing in the Andes. Select novel glycoalkaloid stocks. Generate and test field tubers for antioxidants. Assess reputed duplicates amoung genebanks. Verify suspected observations of apomixis. Collect in the southwest USA for materials for genetic diversity research. Assess new method for measuring genetic heterogeneity of populations. 4a.What was the single most significant accomplishment this past year? Tuber quality research progress. The biggest challenge facing the potato industry is declining demand. So developing a more attractive product as seen by the consumer may be a better objective than increasing yields of the current potato. With this in mind, we accomplished crosses to introgress high tuber calcium from wild species into breeding parents. Cultivars with higher tuber calcium have better processed and tablestock quality, making them more attractive to consumers. Similarly, we characterized environmental factors that interact with the genetics for high tuber antioxidants, and organized and began a project to survey germplasm for an anti-cancer compound unique to potato. These are necessary first steps to giving breeders the information and materials they need to produce new cultivars with nutritional qualities that attract consumers to potato. 4b.List other significant accomplishments, if any. Record use of germplasm. The US Potato Genebank set a 16-year record for number of germlasm distributions. This suggests that materials from the genebank are an increasingly useful resource supporting the national effort for potato research and breeding. Our effort to efficiently promote and provide high quality germplasm also appears to be effective. Tuber pH as a research and breeding tool. We found that the sap of frozen tubers from diverse genetic backgrounds varies widely in acidity. If, as suspected, acidity is correlated with economic traits like disease, pest and stress resistances, bruising, skin color, and processing and nutritional qualities, this rapid, simple and inexpensive evaluation may be valuable in breeding programs. Also, tuber pH differences may provide insights into the underlying physiology of the associated useful traits. 4c.List any significant activities that support special target populations. None. 4d.Progress report. Availability of potato germplasm is important to the progress of basic research and breeding. The genebank at Sturgeon Bay, in cooperation with worldwide collaborators, filled this need by providing viable, disease free stocks in a timely manner, and further evaluating and documenting valuable traits. A total of 268 accessions were increased as botanical seed populations. 900 potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) tests were performed on seed increase parents, seedlots and research materials. Germination tests were performed on 1,044 accessions, ploidy determinations were made on 32 accessions, and tetrazolium seed viability tests were done on 32 seedlots. Nearly 8,400 units of germplasm were distributed to US and foreign requesters. These stocks certainly will be an important component of the foundation of future scientific knowledge about potato, and its use, and will contribute directly to new cultivars with a positive nutritional and economic impact on U.S. farmers and consumers. Germplasm in a genebank becomes more valuable when it is characterized. With various national and international collaborators, we tested germplasm for disease, pest, and stress resistance, and conducted DNA-based analyses to assure that the genetic diversity is being optimally collected and maintained (both in the wild and in the genebank). Thus, we now have better insights into the best materials for breeding and the best techniques for maximizing technical efficiency in the genebank. Impact is evidenced by the fact that genebank stocks are the subject of over 100 research publications yearly, and that most of the new U.S. cultivars released have exotic potato germplasm in their pedigrees. 5.Describe the major accomplishments over the life of the project, including their predicted or actual impact. The project will increase genetic diversity in the US Potato Genebank, and make that resource better understood and more useful. Potato is the major US and world vegetable and the 4th leading world crop with great nutritional and economic impact. Genetic improvement through more diverse and better characterized germplasm can have a great impact on the crop. Thus, the project facilitates the acquisition of new germplasm, conducts technological research to better manage it, and evaluates the germplasm for traits that will be valuable to the industry and have positive nutritional impact on the consumer. During the project term, we expect to have acquired more diverse germplasm, found ways to significantly improve collection and preservation of diversity, and identified and selected stocks outstanding for several important traits: frost, high tuber calcium, glycoalkaloids, anti-oxidants / anti-cancer, internal defects, apomixis, late blight, brown rot. 6.What science and/or technologies have been transferred and to whom? When is the science and/or technology likely to become available to the end-user (industry, farmer, other scientists)? What are the constraints, if known, to the adoption and durability of the technology products? The research results pertain to efficient collection and preservation of germplasm. These apply immediately, potentially to all crop genebanks. Educational outreach includes tours of facilities that enrich students and members of the general public. Technical advice also enhances efficiency of potato germplasm use by cooperators. Assuming a perpetual commitment to germplasm preservation by the US, the benefits from knowledge transferred to scientists, breeders, growers and consumers are perpetual. 7.List your most important publications in the popular press and presentations to organizations and articles written about your work. (NOTE: List your peer reviewed publications below). Invited talks To UM, St Paul Hort Seminar, Mar 9, 2005. To CIP and INIA, Peru, May 11, 2005 Opinion column "Increase Potato's Value" Spudman, Feb 2005, p. 45. Non-peer reviewed abstracts appearing in print FY05 del Rio, A. H., Bamberg, J. B. 2004. Geographical parameters and proximity to related species predict genetic variation in the inbred potato species Solanum verrucosum Schlechtd. Am. J. Potato Res. 81:55. Vega, S. E., Palta, J. P., Bamberg, J. B. 2005. Evidence for the mitigation of gibberellin deficiency symptoms by root zone calcium in GA-deficient mutants of potato. Am J. Potato Res. 82:94-95. Vega, S. E., Bamberg, J. B., Palta, J. P. 2005. Characterization of gibberellin requirements for various diploid and tetraploid gibberellin deficient mutants. Am. J. Potato Res. 82:94. Busse J., Bamberg, J. B., Palta, J. P. 2005. Genetic variations in calcium accumulation efficiency in tuber and aerial shoot tissue. Am. J. Potato Res. 82:60. del Rio, A. H., Bamberg, J.B., Huaman, Z. 2005. Assessment of putative identical germplasm collections at CIP and US Potato genebanks determined by RAPD and SSR markers. Am J. Potato Res. 82:66 del Rio, A.H., Bamberg, J.B. 2005. Ten years of research at the US Potato Genebank using molecular markers to study efficiency in the acquisition and management of Potato Genetic Diversity. Am J Potato Res 82:65 Fernandez, C.J., Bamberg, J. B. 2005. A new Solanum fendleri mutant lacking purple pigment. Am J. Potato Res. 82:69. Bamberg, J. B., del Rio, A. H. 2004. Hypothetical obscured recessive traits in tetraploid Solanum estimated by RAPDs. Am. J. Potato Res. 81:45. Moreyra, R., Bamberg, J. B., del Rio, A. H. 2004. Genetic consequences of collecting tubers vs seeds of wild potato species indigenous to the USA. Am J. Potato Res. 81:76. Review Publications Bamberg, J.B., Palta, J.P., Vega, S.E. 2005. Solanum commersonii cytoplasm does not improve freezing tolerance in substitution backcross hybrids with frost sensitive potato species. American Journal of Potato Research. 82:251-254.