Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » Vegetable Crops Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #327332
Title: Solanum jamesii - new traits and hybrids

Author
item Bamberg, John
item DEL RIO, A - University Of Wisconsin
item FERNANDEZ, C - University Of Wisconsin
item PALTA, J - University Of Wisconsin

Submitted to: American Journal of Potato Research
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2016
Publication Date: 6/1/2017
Citation: Bamberg, J.B., Del Rio, A.H., Fernandez, C.J., Palta, J.P. 2017. Solanum jamesii - new traits and hybrids. Potato Association of America Proceedings. 94(3):211-250. doi: 10.1007/s12230-017-9581-5.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: One of the two wild potato relatives native to the USA is Solanum jamesii (jam). The genebank has collected and studied over 120 samples since 1958. This species has been shown to have extreme late blight resistance, and its tubers have extremely long dormancy, high antioxidants, and compounds that inhibit prostate cancer. The distribution of jam in the wild may have anthropological significance, considering the recent discovery of a population of extraordinary size and genetic diversity at Mesa Verde, Colorado, the headquarters of the ancient Anasazi culture. To these traits, we have recently added evidence of ability of jam tubers to tolerate long-term freezing to -7C in conditions that kill all other species' tubers. Jam produces tubers that are very small, and form very late, if at all, in Wisconsin field conditions and no hybrids with jam that are conducive to field evaluation and breeding have been available. In 2014 - 2015 we used the wild species S. verrucosum as a bridge to make seven jam hybrids, and showed that these can cross with diploid tuberosum. We also identified individuals within PI 597678 of the wild species S. cardiophyllum which cross readily with jam, resulting in F1 hybrids that produce field tubers much larger and earlier than those of pure jam. We anticipate more investigation of the genetics and physiology of tuber freezing tolerance, and using the new hybrid forms to move valuable jam traits into a background more amenable to field tuber evaluation and breeding.