Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

A. OUTPUTS The NE1014 Regional potato variety development project is a coordinated effort among eight eastern states that conducts multi-location variety trials and breeding; four states of which are also conducting breeding and germplasm improvement focusing on the development of new varieties for processing, fresh market and special markets. Specific objectives of the NE1014 project are: 1) to use traditional and molecular breeding approaches to develop enhanced germplasm relevant for meeting potato production constraints in the Northeast; 2) to utilize the improved germplasm to develop high quality, pest resistant potato varieties suitable for processing and fresh-market use; and 3) to identify and quantify environmental and cultural effects that influence variety performance. This project aims to contribute to the development of a more economically and ecologically sustainable potato production system in the mid-Atlantic and eastern USA The following are the highlights of 2004 accomplishments: Crossing work were done to combine traits for processing, fresh market and durable resistance to important pests and diseases  about 98,500 botanical seeds were produced About 32,000 seedling tubers were produced from the greenhouse ME and outdoor beds in NY About 700 clones from single hills and more than 4,000 clones from four-hill plots were selected from ME, NY and NC breeding programs Over 300 clones plus named varieties were evaluated in replicated yield trials and about 50 promising clones were selected for further evaluation In NC, 10 IHN resistant clones with good agronomic traits were selected fro rapid seed increase and further evaluation Development of resistant germplasm is continuing USDA-ARS Belstville - PA collaboration is focused on developing resistant population to late blight, early blight, common scab, powdery scab and Fusarium dry rot disease Screening for resistance were conducted for PVY, common scab and powdery scab, late blight, early blight and Colorado potato beetle in PA, ME and NC Multi-location trials of selected advanced clones and named varieties to evaluate yield, quality and adaptation were conducted in all the 8 participating states A total of 41 round white and 17 red-skinned entries were evaluated in 2004 NE trials for yield, specific gravity, vine and tuber characteristics and susceptibility to internal and external defects MEs AF 1753-16 was named Reeves Kingpin in honor of Dr. Alvin Reeves, the former potato breeder in Maine who passed away in 2001. Reeves Kingpin is a high yielding processing variety which was licensed to McCain Produce, Inc. in 2003. The total area planted to this new variety continues to increase in Maine. In NC, Harley Blackwell (B0564-8 from the USDA-ARS), an attractive, round-white potato with netted skin intended primarily for chipping but may also be suitable for fresh market; has provided favorable commercial scale results as an IHN resistant, chipping line, producing marketable yields 108% those of Atlantic. Marcy (NY112) performed well in all four commercial trials in Maine. Marcy which has late maturity, scab resistance and is high yielding had seed supplies expanded in ME and NY during 2004. Management experiments were conducted to refine recommendations for the most promising candidates for commercial trials. To facilitate dissemination of NE-1014 project results, construction of a web site (www.hort.cornell.edu/potato) began late in 2002 and continued during 2004, but funding constraints have impeded progress toward this goal. It is anticipated that this web site will eventually become one of the primary means of disseminating detailed project data to interested stakeholders.

De Jong W.S., Eannetta N.T., De Jong D.M., Bodis M. 2004. Candidate gene analysis of anthocyanin pigmentation loci in the Solanaceae. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 108: 423-432. Thompson, J.R., Perry, K.L., and De Jong, W. 2004. A new potato virus in a new lineage of picorna-like viruses. Arichives of Virology 149:2141-2154. Haynes, K.G. and D.P. Weingartner. 2004. The use of area under the disease progress curve to assess resistance to late blight in potato germplasm. Am J Potato Res 81:137-141. Porter, G.A., D.H. Lambert, A.A. Bushway, R.L. Plaisted, K.M. Paddock, W.S. DeJong, and D.E. Halseth. 2004. Monticello: A mid-season variety with good tuber appearance and chipping potential from mid- to long-term storage. Amer J Potato Res 81: 143-152. Simko, I., K.G. Haynes, E.E. Ewing, S. Costanzo, B.J. Christ, and R.W. Jones. 2004. Mapping genes for resistance to Verticillium albo-atrum in tetraploid and diploid potato populations using haplotype association tests and genetic linkage analysis. Mol Gen Genomics. 271:522-531. Simko, I., S. Costanzo, K.G. Haynes, B.J. Christ, and R.W. Jones. 2004. Linkage disequilibrium mapping of Verticillium dahliae resistance quantitative trait locus in tetraploid potato (Solanum tuberosum) through a candidate gene approach. Theor Appl Genet 108:217-224. Thompson J.R., Perry K.L., De Jong W. 2004. A new potato virus in a new lineage of picorna-like viruses. Archives of Virology 149: 2141-2154. Published Abstracts: Simko, I., K.G. Haynes, B.J. Christ, and R.W. Jones. 2004. Linkage disequilibrium mapping of a Verticillium dahliae resistance QTL in tetraploid potato (Solanum tuberosum) through a candidate gene approach. Amer. J. Potato Res. 81:88-89. (Abstract) Sterrett, S.B., G.C. Yencho, M.R. Henninger, and K.G. Haynes. 2004. Internal heat necrosis resistant potato clones have higher tuber concentrations of magnesium, sulfur, manganese, and calcium, and lower concentrations of potassium than susceptible clones in the Mid-Atlantic States. Amer. J. Potato Res. 81: 90 (Abstract) Valluru, R., B.J. Christ, and K.G. Haynes. 2004. Inheritance of resistance to Fusarium tuber rot in potatoes. Amer. J. Potato Res. 81:91 (Abstract)