Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wapato, Washington » Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #428969
Research Project: Potato Germplasm Development for Improved Sustainability, Disease Resistance, Nutrition, and Quality

Location: Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research

Title: A method to screen potato breeding lines for blackheart resistance

Author
item Navarre, Duroy
item Feldman, Maximilian
item SATHUVALLI, VIDYASAGAR - Oregon State University
item CHARLTON, BRIAN - Oregon State University
item WAKHOLI, COLLINS - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)
item HNINSI, MOE - Washington State University
item THOMPSON, ASUNTA - North Dakota State University
item BLAUER, JACOB - Washington State University

Submitted to: American Journal of Potato Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/26/2026
Publication Date: 3/21/2026
Citation: Navarre, D.A., Feldman, M.J., Sathuvalli, V., Charlton, B., Wakholi, C., Hninsi, M., Thompson, A., Blauer, J. 2026. A method to screen potato breeding lines for blackheart resistance. American Journal of Potato Research. 103:341-351. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12230-026-10042-0.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12230-026-10042-0

Interpretive Summary: Blackheart is a potato disorder in which the interior of the tuber has a large necrotic black area, which is generally not discovered until after the tuber is cut open. Blackheart is a major cause of waste and consumer complaints. A limitation in developing blackheart resistant breeding lines is that there is no reliable, convenient way to evaluate the resistance. Here we developed a post-harvest heat-treatment of tubers that can be used to induce blackheart in the laboratory. Numerous breeding lines were evaluated for blackheart resistance and several identified that were resistant. This method will allow breeding programs to efficiently screen for blackheart resistance in breeding lines and facilitate study of the genetic and physiological basis of resistance.

Technical Abstract: Potato physiological disorders, including blackheart and hollow heart, are major causes of waste, but a limitation in developing resistant breeding lines or identifying the biological basis of these disorders is a lack of convenient assays. Here we evaluated whether post-harvest heat-treatments of tubers could be used to induce blackheart, hollow heart or heat necrosis. A range of treatments were assessed. A 24-hour treatment of tubers at 41 °C was found to be effective at inducing blackheart. No heat-treatment conditions were effective at inducing hollow heart or heat necrosis. A machine vision method using a conveyor belt phenotyping platform was used to measure blackheart severity. Numerous breeding lines were evaluated for blackheart resistance and several identified that were resistant. This method will allow breeding programs to efficiently screen for blackheart resistance in breeding lines and facilitate study of the genetic and physiological basis of resistance.