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Submitted to: American Journal of Potato Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 11/29/2016 Publication Date: 3/21/2017 Citation: Simko, I., Haynes, K.G. 2017. Maturity-adjusted resistance of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars to Verticillium wilt caused by Verticillium dahliae. American Journal of Potato Research. 94:173–177. Interpretive Summary: Verticillium wilt is a fungal disease of potato caused by two species of Verticillium, V. dahliae and V. albo atrum. The pathogen infects the vascular tissue of potato plants through roots, interfering with the transport of water and nutrition, and reducing both the yield and quality of tubers. We have evaluated the reaction of 283 potato clones to inoculation with V. dahliae under greenhouse conditions. A significant linear correlation was detected between plant maturity and partial resistance to the pathogen, with late maturing clones being generally more resistant. Maturity-adjusted resistance, that takes into consideration both plant maturity and resistance, was calculated from residuals of the linear regression between the two traits. Even after adjusting for maturity, the difference in the resistance of clones was still highly significant, indicating that a substantial part of resistance cannot be explained by the effect of maturity. The highest maturity-adjusted resistance was found in the cv. Navajo, while the most susceptible clone was the cv. Pungo. We hope that the present abundance of data about the resistance and maturity of 283 clones will help potato breeders to develop cultivars with improved resistance to V. dahliae. Technical Abstract: Verticillium wilt is a fungal disease of potato caused by two species of Verticillium, V. dahliae and V. albo atrum. The pathogen infects the vascular tissue of potato plants through roots, interfering with the transport of water and nutrition, and reducing both the yield and quality of tubers. We have evaluated the reaction of 283 potato clones (274 cultivars and nine breeding selections) to inoculation with V. dahliae under greenhouse conditions. A significant linear correlation (r = 0.4, p < 0.0001) was detected between plant maturity and partial resistance to the pathogen, with late maturing clones being generally more resistant. Maturity-adjusted resistance, that takes into consideration both plant maturity and resistance, was calculated from residuals of the linear regression between the two traits. Even after adjusting for maturity, the difference in the resistance of clones was still highly significant, indicating that a substantial part of resistance cannot be explained by the effect of maturity. The highest maturity-adjusted resistance was found in the cv. Navajo, while the most susceptible clone was the cv. Pungo. We hope that the present abundance of data about the resistance and maturity of 283 clones will help potato breeders to develop cultivars with improved resistance to V. dahliae. |
