ARS | Publication request: Breeding for Early Blight Resistance in Potato Using the Wild Species Solanum Raphanifolium

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: August 2, 2010
Publication Date: August 17, 2010
Citation: Webber, B., Jansky, S.H., Halterman, D.A. 2010. Breeding for Early Blight Resistance in Potato Using the Wild Species Solanum Raphanifolium [abstract]. 4th Annual Plant Breeding Meeting.

Technical Abstract: Early blight of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), caused by Alternaria solani is a major cause of economic losses in many potato growing regions. Growers are interested in the development of potato cultivars with resistance to early blight as a means to decrease usage of fungicide applications. Using wild species germplasm in breeding programs, which is diverse and accessible, makes it a desirable resource to examine disease resistance characteristics. The diploid wild species S. raphanifolium has shown increased levels of early blight resistance and can be incorporated into cultivated potato. Ten haploid-wild species hybrid families were created in a genetic study using US-W4, a diploid clone (2n=2x=24) of the cultivated potato and S. raphanifolium, a wild (2n=2x=24) Solanum species. Hybrid families were evaluated for early blight resistance over two years and disease severity was assessed. Analysis of the field data showed significant differences among families in both 2008 and 2009 (p<.0001). Years were analyzed separately due to a large family by year interaction (p<.0001). Haploid-wild species hybrid families created by backcrosses to the wild species parent exhibited increased field resistance to early blight compared to families created by backcrosses to the cultivated potato across both years. Of the overall variability present in the field, 33% (r2=.328) was caused by differences among S. raphanifolium families in 2008 and 14% (r2=.140) in 2009. No significant differences were observed between replications in either year.