General resistance against potato virus Y introduced into a commercial potato cultivar by genetic transformation with PVYN coat protein gene

Summary Transgenic cv. Folva potato plants expressing the coat protein gene of potato virus Y strain N (PVY^N) were produced usingAgrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation. Forty independent transformants were selected for resistance screening. Four clones showed complete resistance to mechanical inoculation with all the five PVY isolates tested: the PVY^N isolate from which the coat protein gene was derived, two PVY^O isolates, and two PVY^NTN isolates. Two of the fully resistant clones contained only one copy of the transgene, demonstrating that it is possible by genetic engineering to obtain highly virus resistant potato clones that can also be useful in future breeding programmes.     

Expression of the chicken lysozyme gene in potato enhances resistance to infection byErwinia carotovora subsp.atroseptica

Infection of potato plants and tubers with the bacteriumErwinia carotovora subsp.atroseptica produces blackleg and soft rot diseases, which cause significant losses to crops and stored potatoes. In order to obtain resistance against this bacterium, the genechly encoding the enzyme lysozyme from chicken was introduced into potato plants (cv. Desirée) viaAgrobacterium- mediated transformation. Sixty-three and 69 transgenic potato clones were evaluated in the greenhouse for resistance to blackleg and soft rot diseases, respectively. Results reported in this paper indicate that 21%-29% of the potato clones showed increased resistance to infection by the bacteriumE. c. subsp.atroseptica T7, as revealed by a reduced severity of blackleg or soft rot symptoms. Nine clones showing different levels of resistance were selected for further molecular analysis. The number of copies of the transgene integrated in the plant genome of these clones was estimated by Southern blot analysis. The level of transgene expression, detected by Northern blot analysis, correlated with the level of resistance detected in these clones.     

Water relations of the potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars Raritan and Shepody

Physiological responses to drought stress were evaluated in the potato cultivars Raritan and Shepody. Under well-watered conditions, Raritan exhibited a higher transpiration rate than Shepody. This higher rate could be related to a lower calculated stomatal resistance on abaxial leaf surfaces. Under drought stress conditions, Raritan consistently demonstrated superior performance over Shepody in the following areas: leaf water retention, epicuticular wax levels, desiccation tolerance and root growth. The estimated relative water content at a leaf water potential of-1.0 MPa was higher for Raritan than Shepody regardless of leaf age and may indicate a greater drought resistance in the former cultivar.     

Some storage characteristics of potato cultivar Atlantic

The cultivars Atlantic, Kennebec and Katahdin were compared as to their storability and cooking qualities for the storage seasons 1974–75 and 1975–76. The studies show Atlantic was equal to Katahdin and Kennebec with regard to storability, except that at storage temperatures above 40°F (4.5°C) for 6 months, sprouting was excessive. Storage losses due to Fusarium tuber rots from natural infection were higher in Atlantic than either Katahdin or Kennebec. The processing quality for chips and French fries of Atlantic was equal or slightly better when compared to the other varieties tested.     

Russet Nugget: A fresh market and processing potato cultivar with resistance to common scab

Russet Nugget is an oblong, smooth, high yielding potato with fresh market and processing qualities. It emerges quickly, produces an erect, large, vigorous vine with a profusion of white flowers, and is late maturing. Russet Nugget is very resistant to common scab, and moderately resistant to leafroll net necrosis,Vertcillium wilt, and early blight (tuber and foliage). In the San Luis Valley of Colorado, yield of Russet Nugget is comparable to Russet Burbank, with a significantly greater percentage of U.S. No. 1 tubers. In Texas, total yield is comparable to Norgold 40, with a slightly lower percentage of U.S. No. 1 tubers. Tubers of Russet Nugget have high specific gravity and vitamin C content.     

Variability in the response toPseudomonas solanacearum of transgenic lines of potato carrying a cecropin gene analogue

Summary Transgenic potato plants of cv. Désirée carrying an antibacterial gene, coding for a cecropin lytic peptide analogue, were inoculated with a virulent strain ofPseudomonas solanacearum under controlled conditions. The disease index scored during three repeated infection trials indicated an increased variability in plant response among the transgenic lines which gave either a more susceptible or a more resistant response to the pathogen when compared with untransformed Désirée. Immunity toP. solanacearum was not observed, but it was possible to select a group of transgenic lines that showed resistance levels and disease development curves comparable to the field resistant cv. Cruza 148.     

Relative resistance of the potato cultivar krantz to common scab caused byStreptomyces scabies as determined by cluster analysis

Twenty potato breeding selections and five potato cultivars (25 clones) were evaluated in replicated field plots for their resistance to common scab caused byStreptomyces scabies, at Presque Isle, ME and Cranesville, WV in 1993. At harvest, all tubers in each plot were individually scored for the surface area covered (0=0% to 5>75%) and for lesion type (0=no lesions to 5=pitted lesions). The individual tuber scores for either surface area covered or lesion type for each plot were totaled and divided by five times the number of tubers to create an index of surface area covered (SAI) or lesion type (LI), respectively. Clonal mean SAI ranged from 0.05 to 0.96 in Maine and 0.21 to 0.89 in West Virginia. Clonal mean LI ranged from 0.06 to 1.0 in Maine and 0.48 to 1.0 in West Virginia. There were significant differences among clones for SAI and LI. Clones were clustered on mean SAI and LI in ME and WV. The clones clustered into four groups. The resistance of Krantz and two breeding selections, B0348-2 and B0339-1, was similar to Ontario.     

Defender: A high-yielding, processing potato cultivar with foliar and tuber resistance to late blight

The potato cultivar Defender is high-yielding, white-skinned, and notable for having foliar and tuber resistance to late blight infection caused byPhytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary. It was released in 2004 by the USDA-ARS and the agricultural experiment stations of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Defender is suitable for processing into french fries and other frozen potato products directly from the field or from storage. Defender also may be used for fresh markets in regions such as California, where cultivars with long tubers and white skin are traditionally grown. Resistances to late blight and other potato diseases make Defender an ideal candidate for organic potato production. Defender consistently produced greater total and U.S. No. 1 yields than ‘Russet Burbank’ in Idaho trials. In early harvest trials conducted in the western U.S., average total yields of Defender were 17% and 23% greater than yields for ‘Ranger Russet’ and ‘Shepody’, respectively. In full-season trials conducted in the western U.S., Defender averaged 10% and 15% higher yields than Ranger Russet and Russet Burbank, respectively. Specific gravity of Defender is consistently high, with values comparable to those of Ranger Russet; tuber ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) levels are also high. In addition to late blight, Defender also is resistant to tuber early blight (Alternaria solani, (Ellis & G. Martin), L.R. Jones & Grout), potato virus X, and net necrosis; it has moderate levels of resistance to Verticillium wilt (Verticillium dahliae, Kleb), pink rot, foliar early blight, corky ringspot, and Erwinia soft rot. Defender is susceptible to scab (common and powdery) and potato leafroll virus; it has moderate susceptibility to dry rot (Fusarium spp.) and potato virus Y. Susceptibilities to internal necrosis, tuber greening, and blackspot bruise also have been noted, but may be minimized through cultural and harvest practices.     

Ac belmont: a new early-maturing potato cultivar with short dormancy

AC Belmont is adapted as a second early cultivar in Eastern Canada. It has a short dormancy. The white-skinned round oval tubers size and bulk early, but more similar to Superior than to Jemseg. The specific gravity of AC Belmont is lower than Superior. When boiled, the tubers of AC Belmont have a good, somewhat moist texture; when baked the texture of AC Belmont is relatively dry. AC Belmont is highly resistant toVerticillium albo-atrum, moderately resistant to PVY,Fusarium coeruleum, F. sambucinum f.6. andRhizoctonia solani.     

Ute Russet: An oblong Russet potato cultivar with resistance to leafroll net necrosis andSclerotium rolfsii

Ute Russet is an oblong, smooth, fresh market potato with a dark net. It emerges slowly, produces an erect, medium sized vine, and is late maturing. Ute Russet is resistant toSclerotium rolfsii Sacc, and leafroll net necrosis, and moderately resistant toVerticillium wilt and scab. Its total and U.S. No. 1 yield potential is comparable to Centennial Russet in the San Luis Valley of Colorado and greater than Centennial Russet in Kern County, California.     

Effects of inoculum density and cultivar resistance on common scab of potato and population dynamics ofStreptomyces scabies

The interaction ofStreptomyces scabies, causal agent of common scab, and its potato host was examined under scab-conducive conditions in the greenhouse. Three potato cultivars with different levels of resistance to common scab were inoculated with four levels of two rifampin-resistant strains ofS. scabies. In general, scab severity increased linearly with an increase in log₁₀ of the inoculum, but both cultivar resistance and strain ofS. scabies affected the slope of the regression line. Rhizosphere and rhizoplane populations ofS. scabies also increased with increasing soil population. One strain ofS. scabies consistently had higher rhizosphere and rhizoplane populations than the other strain. However, rhizosphere population was not consistently related to scab severity, scab incidence, cultivar resistance, or strain virulence.     

Shepody: A long,smooth, white-skinned potato of medium maturity with excellent French fry quality

Shepody is a long, smooth, white-skinned potato cultivar with excellent French frying quality and Kennebec maturity. It has good specific gravity and boils and bakes well.     

2n pollen formation via parallel spindles in the potato cultivar sebago

Parallel spindles occur during microsporogenesis in the cultivar Sebago (2n=4x =48) and are the basis of 2n pollen production in this clone. The relations between the frequencies of parallel spindles, 2n microspores, and 2n pollen are striking. The predicted frequency of 2n pollen based on the percentage of microsporocytes with parallel spindles is highly correlated with the frequency of 2n pollen observed. The percentage of 2n microspores at the sporad stage also corresponds very closely with the observed percentage of 2n pollen. Sebago is thus nulliplex (psp sp sps) for the meiotic mutant which governs spindle orientation at the second meiotic division in microsporocytes. This finding agrees with the prediction that if parallel spindles were involved in the origin of cultivated tetraploid potatoes, the genesps should be present in some 4x cultivars. It adds further support to the concept that 2n gametes have been a creative factor in the origin and evolution of cultivated tetraploids.     

Comparisons of cultivar performance on different nutrient media in a routine method for potato micropropagation

Summary The in vitro culture of potato cultivars (Désirée, Estima, Foxton, Pentaland Squire, Record) initiated from tuber sprout buds has been studied with the requirements of a routine method of micropropagation in mind. Comparisons of the growth of the cultivars on media based on Murashige and Skoog (MS) and on Knop showed that although cultivars differed in their propensity to grow through several generations their performance on MS medium was in general superior. Sprout tips grew slower than buds from lower nodes in the first culture generation but no significant differences in growth were seen in later generations. Thus, where limited numbers of buds from lower nodes are available, sprout tips can be used to initiate cultures.

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Zusammenfassung Die aus Knospen von Knollenkeimen hervorgegangene in vitro Kultur der Kartoffelsorten Désirée, Estima, Foxton, Pentland Squire und Record wurde untersucht im Hinblick auf die Erfordernisse einer Routinemethode für eine Mikrovermehrung. Die N?hrmedien wurden wie folgt bezeichnet: M1: siehe Tab. 1; M2: wie M1, ohne Vitamine; K1: siehe Tab. 1; K2: wie K1, ohne Vitamine. Einige Sorten wuchsen schnell (Désirée, Estima), andere dagegen nur langsam (Record, Foxton) (Tab. 2). Auf dem Medium nach Murashige und Skoog (MS) was das Wachstum allgemein besser als auf dem Medium nach Knop. Einige Sorten (Désirée, Estima) wuchsen zun?chst in gleicher Weise auf beiden N?hrmedien w?hrend andere (Pentland Squire) auf MS-Medium auff?llig besser wuchsen. Unterschiede zwischen den Sorten wurden besonders deutlich, wenn die Kultur über mehrere Generationen hinweg durchgeführt wurde (Abb. 1). Désirée, Foxton und Estima zeigten w?hrend 3 Generationen einen verminderten Wuchs auf Knop's Medium, einen guten aber auf MS-Medium, w?hrmedien in gleicher Weise wuchs. Die Zugabe von Vitaminen zu den N?hrmedien beeinflusste nicht überall das Wachstum, aber in einigen F?llen zeigten einzelne Sorten eine Vorliebe für das Vorhandensein oder für das Fehlen von Vitaminen (Tab. 2). Abschnitte von Keimspitzen auf MS-Medium wuchsen zun?chst langsamer als solche aus den unteren Keimbereichen (Tab. 3), aber die Wachstumsunterschiede verschwanden in den Kulturen nach drei Generationen, so dass bei der Verwendung von Keimspitzen die Vermehrungsrate bei denjenigen Sorten erh?ht werden k?nnte, die kurze oder stark verzweigte Keime aufweisen.

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Résumé La culture in vitro de plusieurs variétés de pommes de terre (Désirée, Estima, Foxton, Pentland Squire et Record), à partir des bourgeons issus des germes de tubercule a été testée selon les recommandations d'une méthode de routine pour la micropropagation. Quatre milieux nutritifs ont été utilisés: M1=voir tabl. 1; M2=comme M1 mais sans vitamines; K1=voir tabl. 1; K2=comme K1 mais sans vitamines. Certaines variétés (Désirée, Estima) ont poussé rapidement, alors que d'autres (Record, Foxton) ont eu une croissance lente (tabl. 2). Le milieu de Murashige et Skoog (MS) a donné une croissance générale supérieure à celle de Knop. Certaines variétés (Désirée, Estima) ont eu au départ un taux de croissance similaire sur les deux types de milieu, tandis que pour d'autres (Pentland Squire) il f?t nettement plus important sur milieu MS. Les différences entre variétés sont apparues plus nettement après prolongement de la culture sur plusieurs générations (fig. 1). Désirée, Foxton et Estima ont vu leur croissance diminuer au cours de trois générations sur Knop mais non sur milieu MS, tandis que Record eut un niveau de croissance faible mais identique sur les différents milieux. L'apport de vitamines dans le milieu n'a produit aucun effet général sur la croissance, mais dans quelques cas, on notait une certaine préférence pour la présence ou l'absence des vitamines (tabl. 2). Les extrémités de germes cultivées sur milieu MS ont eu une croissance initiale plus faible que les entre-noeuds inférieurs (tabl. 3) mais les différences disparaissent après trois générations de culture, de sorte que les extrémités de germes peuvent augmenter les taux de multiplication pour les variétés à germes courts ou à forte ramification.