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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Aberdeen, Idaho » Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #121356

Title: VIRUS RESISTANT POTATO GERMPLASM

Author
item Corsini, Dennis
item PAVEK, JOSEPH - RETIRED ARS
item Brown, Charles

Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Virus infections are one of the major limiting factors for potato production. Since the potato crop is propogated clonally each year, once a tuber becomes infected it passes this infection on to all subsequent daughter tuber generations. Very costly seed programs and intensive insecticide use have reduced the impact of viruses on potato production. Genetic resistance would be a less expensive and much more environmentally friendly approach to reducing the virus problems in potato. This research describes advances made by USDA-ARS potato breeding programs in developing virus resistant potato germplasm adapted to the Pacific Northwest.

Technical Abstract: The USDA potato breeding program for the Pacific Northwest has developed a collection of Solanum tuberosum genotypes that have combined resistance to potato viruses X (PVX), Y (PVY), and leafroll (PLRV). Resistance has been derived from S. andigena, S. acaule, S. demissum, and S. stoloniferum. Parental germaplasm was obtained from the neotuberosum program, Cornell University; The Max Planck Institute, Germany, via the NRSP-6 Collection; and the former Polish Institute for Potato Research. A new source of PLRV resistance from S. chacoense was recently identified and is being introgressed into cultivated germplasm. Breeding selections A88597-7, A88617-6, and A88625-10 have shown no tuber borne infection with PVX, PVY, or PLRV in six years of continued field testing at Kimberly, ID, and at Prosser, WA, whereas Russet Burbank has averaged 68% PVX, 53% PVY, and 81% PLRV. Breeding to combine resistance to important viruses along with resistance to late blight into commercially accepted cultivars is in progress.