Location: Small Grain and Food Crops Quality Research
Project Number: 3060-21430-009-021-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Oct 1, 2023
End Date: Sep 30, 2025
Objective:
Objective 1: Optimizing combination of ideal temperature and elicitor-based treatment strategy to enhance suberization of cut potato seed tubers and subsequently reducing seed tuber decay.
Objective 2: Investigating effect of optimized treatment strategy on the formation of suberin layer and associated metabolic regulations of different cultivars of cut potato seed tubers.
Objective 3: Investigating effects of seed treatments and suberization on crop yield and quality.
Approach:
The scientific rationale of the proposed research is that formation of suberin layer, which is the natural wound healing response of cut or wounded potato tubers, would provide protection against both abiotic and biotic stress factors and will reduce potato seed decay and ensure optimum crop stand and higher yield. The major goal of this research is to determine the ideal conditions (temperature, humidity, and seed treatments) to enhance suberization of cut potato seed tubers. The investigation will include agronomically significant potato cultivars (e.g., Russet Burbank, Bannock, Umatilla, Dakota Russet); promising natural elicitor treatments identified by our ongoing research (e.g., Chitosan, Nutricran) along with commercial seed treatments (e.g., CruiserMaxx); different seed cutting/curing temperatures (38F - 55C). Various phenotypic/microscopic and molecular assays will be performed to determine suberin polyphenolic formation and evaluation of metabolic regulations during suberization of cut potato seed tubers.
