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Title: USING A WILD SPECIES, SOLANUM MICRODONTUM, TO MOVE HIGH TUBER CALCIUM TRAIT TO THE CULTIVATED POTATOES

Author
item Bamberg, John
item PALTA, JIWAN - UNIV OF WI-MADISON, HORT
item MARTIN, M - UNIV OF WI-MADISON, HORT

Submitted to: American Journal of Potato Research
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2006
Publication Date: 2/1/2007
Citation: Bamberg, J.B., Palta, J.P., Martin, M.W. 2007. Using a wild species, solanum microdontum, to move high tuber calcium trait to the cultivated potatoes [abstract]. American Journal of Potato Research. 84:77.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: CULTIVATED potato tuber tissue is naturally deficient in calcium, resulting in many physiological defects and pathogen susceptibilities that affect the quality of the crop. Recent studies have demonstrated that tuber quality of potatoes can be significantly improved by in-season calcium application. Breeding programs spend much time selecting clones that are superior to existing cultivars with respect to many required traits, only to find that those advanced selections fail because of inadequate tuber quality. Thus, improved calcium genetics might enhance the efficiency of cultivar breeding. Our previous studies screened a broad spectrum of wild potato species, and subsequent fine screening identified species and genotypes with calcium accumulating capacity several fold that of cultivated potato. This enhanced tuber calcium was also shown to occur not only in the peel, but also in the tuber flesh. F2 hybrids of S. microdontum, a diploid wild potato species, were produced, and selected for high tuber calcium and 2n pollen. These were successfully crossed to tuberosum cultivars known to be good parents for breeding, but also notorious for producing progeny susceptible to tuber defects. The elite high calcium species selections were also successfully crossed as females with a diploid tuberosum male, HDF-20, which had been selected for male fertility. The hybrids tuberized readily in the greenhouse. They are being evaluated for the combination of yield and type with high tuber calcium and minimized defects, and bulked for distribution to other programs for use as breeding parents.