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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Genetic Improvement for Fruits & Vegetables Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #350413
Title: Identification of a high-frequency of triploid potato resulting from tetraploid x diploid crosses

Author
item GRAEBNER, RYAN - Oregon State University
item CHEN, HSUAN - Oregon State University
item CONTRERAS, RYAN - Oregon State University
item Haynes, Kathleen
item SATHUVALLI, VIDYASAGAR - Oregon State University

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2019
Publication Date: 7/1/2019
Citation: Graebner, R.C., Chen, H., Contreras, R.N., Haynes, K.G., Sathuvalli, V. 2019. Identification of a high-frequency of triploid potato resulting from tetraploid x diploid crosses. HortScience. 54(7):1159–1163. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI13797-18.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI13797-18

Interpretive Summary: Cultivated potatoes have four sets of chromosomes and so are called tetraploids. Wild potatoes have two sets of chromosomes and are termed diploids. Conventional wisdom in potato breeding holds that crosses between tetraploids and diploids will not produce progeny that are triploid with three sets of chromosomes. However, we report that in a recent set of crosses between elite tetraploid potatoes and an improved diploid population, 61.5% of the resulting progeny were found to be triploid. Potato tubers produced by these triploids are generally intermediate of the two parental groups. Our findings open up the possibility of using triploid potatoes in potato variety development programs. Our results will benefit public and private breeding programs active in developing improved potato varieties as well as researchers active in the area of reproductive genetics of crop plants.

Technical Abstract: Conventional wisdom in potato breeding holds that a strong triploid block prevents the development of viable triploid seeds from crosses between tetraploid and diploid clones. However, we report that in a recent set of crosses between elite tetraploid potatoes and an improved diploid hybrid population derived from Group Stenotomum and Group Phureja, 61.5% of the resulting clones were found to be triploid. If clones derived from one diploid parent suspected of producing a high frequency of unreduced gametes is excluded, the frequency of triploid clones increases to 74.4%. Tubers of these triploids are generally intermediate of the two parental groups. Our findings open up the possibility of using triploid potatoes in potato variety development programs and in genetic and genomic studies. This research will be of interest to breeders and geneticists.