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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » Vegetable Crops Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #256543

Title: Potato, viruses, and seed certification in the USA to provide healthy propagated tubers

Author
item VERCHOT-LUBICZ, JEANMARIE - Oklahoma State University
item CHARKOWSKI, AMY - University Of Wisconsin
item Halterman, Dennis

Submitted to: Pest Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/14/2011
Publication Date: 8/13/2012
Citation: Verchot-Lubicz, J., Charkowski, A., Halterman, D.A. 2012. Potato, viruses, and seed certification in the USA to provide healthy propagated tubers . Pest Technology. 6(1):1-14.

Interpretive Summary: Viruses are debatably the most important class of pathogens of potato and can limit marketable yield by up to 80% in some cases. Breeding for resistance to viruses is an important part of combating these diseases. There is currently a large body of information on the subject of potato viruses and we decided it would be beneficial to summarize this information and make it available for researchers interested in potato virus diseases and the resistance traits that are available. Potato researchers and breeders will benefit from this review article through a better understanding of the basis of potato virus diseases and resistance.

Technical Abstract: In general, potato is an intensively managed crop, requiring irrigation, fertilization, and frequent pesticide applications in order to obtain the highest yields possible. In the past, breeding programs focused primarily on improving yield and ignored the many diseases that can afflict potatoes, especially viral diseases. Viral diseases of potato can cause severe yield losses, effect tuber quality in a manner that prevents marketability, and are easily transmitted through tubers and vegetative propagation of the plants. Tubers play an important role in the spread of virus disease and this has led many regions to develop seed certification programs. The most important viruses in the USA include Potato virus Y (PVY) Potato leafroll virus (PLRV), Potato virus X (PVX), Potato virus S (PVS), tobacco rattle virus (TRV), and alfalfa mosaic virus (AlMV). The purpose of this review is to discuss the recent findings related to potato virus characterization and identification of resistance traits in potato germplasm.