Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Brief summary of minutes of annual meeting: Greg Porter reported that Potato Special Grant for Northeast received highly positive reviews, and was funded again, but budget was nevertheless reduced by 25%, to about $200,000. Walter De Jong reported that the USDA-funded SolCAP project has begun work to develop large numbers of SNP markers in elite potato germplasm, to facilitate breeding efforts nationwide. Chris Hopkins noted that NE1031 efforts to develop new cultivars are much appreciated by regional potato industry. Results of screening NE1031 germplasm for resistance to diseases were presented (in Maine  bacterial ring rot and pink rot, in Pennsylvania  late blight, early blight, powdery scab) Extensive discussion about agronomic performance of potato clones evaluated across the Northeast ensued, with feedback guiding MY, ME, MD and NC breeder decisions about which clones to keep evaluating, and which clones to drop. Mark Clough outlined how yield trial data for the NE1031 project website (http://potatoes.ncsu.edu/NE.html) should be formatted prior to submission. Accomplishments: This project seeks, through activities coordinated across many Northeastern States, to develop potato varieties with improved agronomic, disease-resistance, and nutritional characteristics. It is anticipated that improved potato cultivars will help maintain the viability of rural economies, reduce dependence on pesticides, and contribute substantially toward maintaining a secure, safe and nutritious food supply. Project milestones for 2008, and progress related to each of these, follow: 1. Incorporate disease and insect resistances, abiotic stress resistances, improved processing characteristics, and enhanced nutritional quality, from diverse diploid and tetraploid potato species into high quality, adapted germplasm (S. tuberosum) (on-going activity). Potato breeding for improved quality and pest resistance continued in four eastern states during 2008 (ME, NY, NC, and USDA-ARS Beltsville, MD). These four programs focus on specific pest and marketing issues, so that regional resources are used efficiently. NY, for example, places an emphasis on golden nematode resistance, while resistance to late blight is the most important disease-resistance target in Maine. Each eastern program uses diverse potato germplasm sources as parents in their crossing programs. 2. Quantitative, molecular genetic and biochemical studies to improve processing quality and resistance to internal heat necrosis commenced (on-going activity) QTL mapping in a tetraploid population of 160 individuals from a cross between an important chip processing cultivar, Atlantic, and B1829-5, an advanced breeding selection from the USDA-ARS potato breeding program in Beltsville has now started. The cross is being genotyped with SSR and AFLP markers. 3. Interactive and searchable potato variety trial database designed to provide easy and rapid access to the results of the trials coordinated through the Eastern potato variety development project established (on-going activity) A searchable, web-accessible database of Eastern Regional Potato Variety trials is now on-line (http://potatoes.ncsu.edu/NE.html). 4. Diploid PHU-STN late blight resistant population developed by USDA and Penn State U and early blight mapping research commenced. Resistance in the late blight population improved by 1/6 (as measured by area under the disease progress curve) between the first and second generations, and by ½ from the second to third generations. Molecular markers associated with early blight resistance in the first year unexpectedly failed to predict resistance in year 2.

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