The importance of Endosperm Balance Number in potato breeding and the evolution of tuber-bearing Solanum species

Summary Endosperm failure is considered the primary reason for the lack of success in intra-and interspecific crosses. The Endosperm Balance Number (EBN) hypothesis is a unifying concept for predicting endosperm function in intraspecific, interploidy, and interspecific crosses. In the EBN system, every species has an effective ploidy (EBN), which must be in a 2:1 maternal to paternal ratio in the endosperm for crosses to succeed. The knowledge of EBN is very useful in the transfer of genes from exotic germplasm, and in the development of new breeding schemes in potato. The paper describes the strategies for introducing 2x(1EBN), 2x(2EBN), 4x(2EBN) and 6x(4EBN) germplasm into the cultivated 4x(4EBN) potato gene pool. A new methodology for producing 4x(4EBN) and 2x(2EBN) chromosome addition lines is also discussed. EBN has evolutionary importance in the origin of tuber-bearing Solanums. The role of the EBN in the origin of diploid and polyploid potato species, and as a barrier for hybridization and speciation of sympatric species within the same ploidy level is demonstrated. The origin of 3x and 5x cultivated tuber-bearing Solanums may also be explained using the EBN concept. EBN has been reported to exist in other plant species: alfalfa, beans, blueberries, rice, soybeans, squashes, tomato, forage legumes, grasses, ornamentals and Datura stramonium. This indicates that EBN may have broad application and could be useful for germplasm transfer and breeding in other crop species.