NCCC_temp215: Potato Breeding and Genetics Technical Committee
(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)
Status: Draft Project
NCCC_temp215: Potato Breeding and Genetics Technical Committee
Duration: 10/01/2027 to 09/30/2032
Administrative Advisor(s):
NIFA Reps:
Non-Technical Summary
Potato production in the North Central US is vital to the regional and national economy, both fresh and from long-term storage. In 2023, the four states in the North Central Region (NC) accounted for 25% of the total harvested acres in the US. Successful development of new potato cultivars is challenging due to autotetraploid genetics and the large number of traits involved, including many types of disease and stress resistance, yield, size distribution, appearance, processing quality, and storability. The specific objectives of this coordinating committee is to: 1. Provide a forum for multidisciplinary idea exchange and discussion of current research topics in potato breeding and genetics and offer training opportunities to graduate students, post docs and research staff, 2. Actively coordinate the potato breeding and genetics research programs within quad state region (Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin) to enhance variety development efforts. This includes carrying out disease, insect and quality evaluations that take advantage of the strengths and expertise of each state's research programs, 3. Create a setting for producers and industry personnel and North Central breeders and agronomists to report and discuss variety trial results conducted in the North Central region. The expected outcome is to hold an annual roundtable meeting to present results, coordinate research, plan proposal development and professional development of graduate students.
Statement of Issues and Justification
Potato production in the North Central US is vital to the regional and national economy, both fresh and from long-term storage. In 2023, the four states in the North Central Region (NC) accounted for 25% of the total harvested acres in the US: 75,500 acres in ND, 67,500 in WI, 49,000 in MI, and 45,700 in MN (NASS, 2024). The farm-gate value of the 2023 production was estimated at $ 439.4 million for WI, $404.3 million for ND, $286.7 million for MI and 267.4 million for MN, for a total value of nearly $1.4 billion (NASS, 2024).Potato consumers within the upper Midwest region of the US are also key stakeholders in potato cultivar development efforts as the improved cultivars resulting from this research contribute directly to their diet. The US Census Bureau estimated the combined population of MI, WI, MN, ND and SD at nearly 23.3 million people in 2020 (US Census Bureau 2020) and the same agency estimated that nearly 22.7 million consumers lived in the large metropolitan centers within the upper Midwest US food shed (Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Milwaukee and Grand Rapids) (US Census Bureau 2019).
Public breeding is the cornerstone of potato variety development in North America. There exists only two large private potato breeding efforts in the US and they focus on the chip-processing and frozen processing market. NCCC215 plays an important role in the success of varietal breeding by providing a forum for collaborative research, coordinating regional varietal testing and facilitating the exchange of germplasm and research ideas. North Central breeding programs have developed 5 of the 15 leading potato varieties grown in the US. This regional project also provides an important vehicle for project leaders, graduate students, other researchers and industry representatives to become familiar with leading edge technology, and materials and techniques being developed in potato breeding and genetics. Important advances in potato genetics have emerged from this regional effort. Some notable efforts include development of breeding strategies enabling the utilization of the genetic diversity available in the Solanum species; germplasm collection, systematics, preserving and cataloguing; genetic mapping of important traits; integration of transgenic and gene editing approaches in genetic improvement; SNP array and DaRT marker technology development and utilization; diploid potato breeding; and the genetic understanding of numerous resistance and quality traits of potato (i.e. late blight, Verticillium wilt, soft rot, Colorado potato beetle, cold sweetening resistance and specific gravity). NCCC215 also provides the foundation for building strong research relationships (e.g. SolCAP, SCRI-acrylamide, SCRI-virus, SCRI-Potato 2.0 CAP, Potatoes USA National Chip Processing Trials, Potatoes USA National Fry Processing Trials) within the region that will foster positive collaborative research efforts in the future.
Objectives
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Provide a forum for multidisciplinary idea exchange and discussion of current research topics in potato breeding and genetics and offer training opportunities to graduate students, post docs and research staff.
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Actively coordinate the potato breeding and genetics research programs within quad state region (Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin) to enhance variety development efforts. This includes carrying out disease, insect and quality evaluations that take advantage of the strengths and expertise of each state's research programs.
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Create a setting for producers and industry personnel and North Central breeders and agronomists to report and discuss variety trial results conducted in the North Central region.
Procedures and Activities
The committee meets annually at a site in the Midwest (usually Chicago).The annual NCCC215 meeting is typically held in conjunction with the Potatoes USA National Chip Program (NCP) Variety Selection Meeting, facilitating participation by industry representatives and providing opportunities for direct interaction among public-sector breeders, researchers, growers, and the potato industry. The organization of the meeting is such that one day is focused on variety trials and variety releases, while a second day is devoted to potato breeding and genetics research. Any participant is allowed to give a presentation on one or both days. Graduate students, post docs and research staff are encouraged to present and discuss their research findings. This provides a good training opportunity, allowing them to prepare and give a presentation, and giving them a chance to participate in discussions throughout the meeting. During the meeting, time will be devoted to discussing the needs of breeders for disease and quality evaluations and determining the resources available to address those needs. Discussions on developing research proposals and strengthening collaborations on projects of interest across the programs, including the development of jointly funded projects, will also be a focus. This may entail the scheduling of conference calls during the year to help facilitate these interactions.
Meeting organizers encourage attendance by grower and industry representatives. Attendance can now be conducted as a virtual option. Dr. John Bamberg, director of NRSP-6, and at least one from his staff attends the meeting. In addition, potato breeders from across the U.S. and Canada (North Carolina, New York, Idaho, Maine, Iowa, Nebraska and New Brunswick) are attending, giving presentations, and participate in the discussions.
Expected Outcomes and Impacts
- Coordination of the quad state (Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin) breeding and genetics research program to enhance variety development efforts. We currently coordinate agronomic trials for the chip-processing and table markets, as well as disease testing. Breeding programs also share and discuss breeding program management for the purposes of improving efficiency. Naming and releases of new varieties are also reported, and an ultimate impact of the work is to release varieties that are successfully adopted and utilized by the industry.
- Through participation of a diversity of potato researchers (breeders, geneticists, molecular biologists, plant pathologists, and agronomists) from the North Central, Western, and Northeast regions and Canada, provide a forum for multidisciplinary idea exchange and discussion of current research topics and offer training opportunities for graduate students.
- Provide a broad assessment of advanced breeding germplasm by developing a series of disease, insect, and quality evaluations that utilize the expertise of each state's research programs. We also share DNA-based screening methods to enhance early generation selection across the breeding programs.
- Development of new breeding methods such as genomics-based breeding, diploid breeding with exotic germplasm and introgression of self-compatibility to create diploid F1 hybrid breeding methods. This will assist in the production of new germplasm and, eventually varieties, as well as provide tools to assist in understanding more fundamental aspects of potato genetics.
- Development of joint research proposals that integrate the expertise of each of the different programs.
- Through a central meeting location, virtual access, and an appropriate meeting format, create an environment to educate industry personnel about variety trial results conducted in the North Central region.
Projected Participation
View Participation Form/Appendix E: ParticipationEducational Plan
The NCCC84 meeting format has traditionally been a reporting and discussion of research on a state-by-state basis. The relatively small size and interactive format of the meeting also provides graduate students and postdoctoral researchers with valuable opportunities to network and interact directly with leading principal investigators in potato breeding, genetics, and related disciplines.To make the results presented at the meeting attractive to industry clientele, the meeting is divided into one day of variety reports (from all states) and another day of breeding and genetic research (from all states). In this manner the results presented will have a more direct impact upon the potato industry. Graduate students and post-docs are encouraged to participate in discussions and present their research accomplishments. Meeting organizers encourage attendance by grower and industry representatives; however, each state potato organization holds yearly winter research meetings to report and discuss annual research advances. The national potato industry holds a national chip potato breeding meeting following the NCCC215 meeting (in Chicago) and also holds an industry-based expo that moves around the country. Currently, we are getting industry attendance from the national and state potato organizations and from some of the chip-processors and chip-processing growers. Information of interest to the potato industry will also be distributed to Extension educators and specialists for incorporation into their educational programs.
Organization/Governance
The recommended Standard Governance for coordinating committee research activities include the election of a Chair, a Chair-elect, and a Secretary. All officers are to be elected for at least two-year terms to provide continuity. Administrative guidance will be provided by an assigned Administrative Advisor and a NIFA Representative.
Land Grant Participating States/Institutions
MI, MN, ND, WI, NE, IA are the core NCCC215 land grant institutions. We also get participation from FL, NC, TX, NY, ME, CO, OR, and FL.
Non-Land Grant Participating States/Institutions
Agriculture and Agrifood Canada and USDA-ARS scientists from the Potato Gene bank in Sturgeon Bay,Wisconsin, Idaho, Maine and Washington.
Literature Cited
National Agricultural Statistics Service. 2024. Statistics by State (www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/,). USDA, Washington, D.C.
US Census Bureau. 2019. Table 1. Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2019. 2019 Resident Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division.
US Census Bureau. 2020. Table P1. Decennial Census Total Population Data. https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=United%20States&g=0100000US_0400000US26,27,38,46,55&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P1&hidePreview=true.