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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Aberdeen, Idaho » Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #121498
Title: DEVELOPING RESISTANCE TO POTATO DISEASES AND PESTS.

Author
item Corsini, Dennis
item Novy, Richard - Rich

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/1/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The approach to developing new disease resistant potato varieties by the USDA-ARS potato-breeding program at Aberdeen, ID is described in this presentation at the annual Potato Conference in Colorado. The disease resistance characteristics of several of the new varieties released by the Tri-State Potato Variety Development Program are given. Bannock Russet is particularly notable for its combined resistance to several major disease problems, namely verticillium wilt, early blight, common scab, potato virus y, and leafroll net necrosis.

Technical Abstract: The USDA-ARS Breeding Program at Aberdeen, Idaho, in cooperation with state programs in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, has been working for years to combine disease resistance with outstanding market quality. The major objectives for disease and pest resistance are late blight, the early dying complex, viruses, storage rots, and blacksopt bruise. We also have identified germplasm with resistance to corky ringspot, rootknot nematodes and the cyst nematode. As a result of these efforts, many of the new varieties coming out of the Tri-State Potato Variety Development Program have good resistance to early dying diseases, particularly Verticillium wilt. Gemchip, Frontier, Ranger, Legend, Umatilla, and Bannock are examples. Ranger is resistant to PVX and moderately resistant to PVY, Bannock is resistant to PVY, and Ranger, Umatilla, and Bannock are resistant to leafroll net necrosis. Advanced breeding selection, A90586-11, ,for the french fry processing market, has good foliar and tuber resistance to late blight. It is difficult to combine all the necessary quality characteristics into a dual-purpose fresh market and processing variety. Adding multiple disease resistance traits makes the task much harder. Our approach has been to gradually accumulate a large parental germplasm base with resistance to multiple diseases and to then intercross with commercially adapted types. Slowly but surely the overall level of disease resistance is being increased in the new varieties being released from the Tri-State Program.