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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 #416636
Research Project: Solanaceous Crop Improvement and Disease Management

Location: Genetic Improvement for Fruits & Vegetables Laboratory

Title: Report of a spontaneous potato monoploid resulting from a biparental diploid potato cross

Author
item WILLIAMS, NOAH - University Of Maine
item Kornelis, Greg
item TAN, EK - University Of Maine
item Collins, Paul

Submitted to: American Journal of Potato Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/10/2024
Publication Date: 10/3/2024
Citation: Williams, N., Kornelis, G.K., Tan, E.H., Collins, P.J. 2024. Report of a spontaneous potato monoploid resulting from a biparental diploid potato cross. American Journal of Potato Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12230-024-09971-5.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12230-024-09971-5

Interpretive Summary: The cultivated potato has four sets of chromosomes and is referred to as a tetraploid. Potato breeders are working to develop true seed for propagation of potatoes that are diploid with just two sets of chromosomes and are easier to breed than are tetraploids. This manuscript describes the first step in that process towards developing true breeding diploid potatoes which can be propagated by botanical seed, as opposed to vegetatively propagated through tuber seed pieces. Using crosses between potato clones derived from diverse potato germplasm, we identified haploid progeny with just one set of chromosomes which are valuable for speeding development of true beeding diploids for use in diploid breeding and propagation via botanical seed. Propagation through botanical seed offers improved means to reduce seed transmission of plant viruses, reduced seed transport cost, and quicker seed production for potato farmers.

Technical Abstract: Reduction to a haploid state followed by chromosome doubling is an established method for the production of inbred lines for diploid-hybrid true seed production. In potato, the focus on haploid induction has been to use haploid inducers to develop primary dihaploids from tetraploid breeding clones via maternal haploid induction. Further reduction of diploid breeding lines into true monoploids via haploid induction is also possible but has not been explored extensively. PL-4, a diploid potato line developed as an improved haploid inducer, was crossed as female in a limited number of crosses with a diploid breeding line derived from Solanum tuberosum Group Phureja-stenotomum. Embryo rescue resulted in two offspring with low guard cell counts, and SNP analysis identified one offspring as a monoploid of PL-4.