ARS | Publication request: A Test of Taxonomic and Biogeographic Predictivity: Resistance to Potato Virus Y in Wild Relatives of the Cultivated Potato

Submitted to: Potato Association of America Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: March 19, 2010
Publication Date: August 15, 2010
Citation: Cai, X., Halterman, D.A., Spooner, D.M., Charkowski, A., Groves, R., Jansky, S.H. 2010. A Test of Taxonomic and Biogeographic Predictivity: Resistance to Potato Virus Y in Wild Relatives of the Cultivated Potato [abstract]. Potato Association of America Proceedings. Paper No. 66.

Technical Abstract: A major justification for taxonomic research is its assumed ability to predict traits in a group for which the trait has been observed in a representative subset. In this study, we evaluated potato virus Y resistance using 135 accessions of potato to determine whether we can predict the distribution of resistance in wild Solanum species based on taxonomic or biogeographic data. Tremendous variation for PVY resistance was found within and among species. There is no consistent association between resistance and taxonomic series, clades, ploidy, and breeding system. However, the correlation coefficient between endosperm balance number (EBN) and PVY resistance was -0.22. The five species with the highest percentage of resistant plants were 1 EBN. A Chi-square test indicated that the 1 EBN species contain a higher percentage of resistant plants than expected. Our study identified new germplasm with resistance: S. albornozii, S. andreanum, S. bukasovii, S. bulbocastanum, S. cardiophyllum, S. hjertingii, S. iopetalum, S. jamesii, S. kurtzianum, S. paucijugum, S. pinnatisectum, and S. schenckii. A correlation between resistance and elevation at which the individuals were collected was high and significant. A Chi-square analysis revealed that there was a much higher than expected proportion of resistant plants in accessions collected at elevations below 2100m. This relationship may be related to the distribution of aphids, which act as vectors for PVY.