Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

New project number. This project has a new number. Formerly NE-107, then NE-184, the project now uses the code NE-1014.

Introductions. Visitor Dave Hammond (Lamb Weston, WA) and Stephen Reiling, our new NE-1014 Project Administrative Advisor, were especially welcomed. A moment of silence was held for D. MacKenzie, our former Administrative Advisor, who served the national and international potato community in many capacities for many years; he passed away in 2002.

State, Federal, and Provincial site reports for 2002: highlights. D. De Koeyer  Bacterial Ring Rot testing will enable NE-1014 materials to be imported into New Brunswick after 2007, allowing trials of NE-1014 clones to resume in Eastern Canada. C. Hutchinson  Hastings Res. Stn. is now officially closed. G. Porter  anticipated processing expansion in Maine is currently on hold. D. Halseth  nematologist Bill Brodie recently retired after 47 years of service. C. Yencho  Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV) was detected for the 1st time in NC at very high levels; impact on yield unclear; Atlantic was one of the most susceptible varieties.

Comments from industry representatives. Dave Hammond shared his impressions from Washington; the industry in the west is increasingly interested in diversifying from french fries only. Examples of this included new mashed products, new reds with skins products, wedge products, and yellow-fleshed products.

Pathology test reports. B. Christ has powdery scab collections dating back to 1992 and they are using PCR primers to detect potato mop top virus (PMTV) in these samples. To date, all samples testing negative. They are also conducting studies to determine host range of PMTV.

Breeding reports. W. De Jong  current focus is on development of lines with resistance to race Ro2 of the golden cyst nematode. NY112 was released as Marcy in 2002. K. Haynes  B0564-8 being released as Harley Blackwell; release note currently circulating. B0766-3 to be released in 2003. Z. Ganga  started in August 2002; last few months spent learning about program; four promising clones; focus of program is on processing types. C. Yencho  NC continues to collaborate with USDA-ARS, Cornell and UM on early generation selection projects and is making a limited number of crosses.

Seed orders. G. Porter  all NE-1014 clones tested negative for PMTV.

Web-site development. D. Halseth commended for his work on the site. Possible items to be added - Annual Reports, USDA-ARS Germplasm Report, non-technical items of interest (e.g. "Whats Looking Good"  a link to new numbered clones and newly released varieties).

Site Selection for 2004 Meeting  Portland, ME. Host: G. Porter.

Next years Executive Committee. Walter De Jong, Chair; Craig Yencho, Vice-chair; Zenaida Ganga, secretary.

Meeting adjourned 6:15 PM, January 20, 2003.

NE1014 seeks: 1) to use traditional and molecular breeding approaches to develop enhanced germplasm relevant for meeting potato production constraints in the Northeast 2) to use the improved germplasm to develop high quality, pest resistant potato varieties suitable for processing and freshmarket use and 3) to identify and quantify environmental and cultural effects that influence variety performance.

In 2002 Northeastern potato breeding programs at the University of Maine, Cornell University, USDA-ARS in Beltsville, and North Carolina State University made crosses between parents with complementary traits, to combine traits such as high dry matter  important for chip processing  with resistance to common scab, or red skin color with resistance to the golden cyst nematode. 100,000 seedlings were grown to generate tubers for evaluation in the field in following years. Selections were made from field plots to identify clones worthy of more intensive evaluation (e.g. replicated yield trials) in following years. Twenty-one advanced clones were submitted to the University of Maine Seed farm for the first time, to produce disease free seed for trials in 2003 and beyond. Twenty-four advanced clones, as well as several check varieties, were distributed for regional evaluation in 2002. The clones were evaluated for a wide range of characteristics, including yield, disease susceptibility, appearance, and processing quality, in eight States (ME, NY, PA, OH, NC, NJ, FL, VA) and one province (Que), that span a remarkably wide range of production environments. The performance of these clones was critically discussed at the annual meeting (Raleigh, NC; Jan. 20, 2003). The breeders used this feedback to help make their annual decisions on which clones to continue to evaluate, and which clones to drop. One widely adapted potato clone was released as a new variety in 2002. Marcy, which had been tested as NY112, was released by the Cornell breeding program. Marcy is a high yielding chipping clone with resistance to common scab and the golden cyst nematode. To facilitate dissemination of NE-1014 project results, construction of a web site (www.hort.cornell.edu/potato) began late in the year. It is anticipated that this web site will eventually become one of the primary means of disseminating detailed project data to interested stakeholders.

The clone B0564-8, developed by the USDA-ARS program in Beltsville MD, will be released as the variety Harley Blackwell in 2003. Harley Blackwell is an attractive, round-white potato with netted skin. Although intended primarily for chipping, it may also be suitable for fresh market use. In NC, it has produced marketable yields averaging 108% of current industry standard, Atlantic. Unlike Atlantic, Harley Blackwell does not suffer from internal heat necrosis in the mid- and south-Atlantic states.

Monticello (formerly NY102), a new storage chipping variety, will also be released during 2003. Maine growers produced over 100 acres of Monticello for chipping and 20 acres for seed during each of the past two years with generally good results.

A new french fry line, AF1753-16, was commercially tested during each of the last two years and the University of Maine is in the process of releasing it for commercialization. Growers and processors have been very impressed with the yield and quality of this line and see it as a potential replacement for Shepody, the standard early-season french fry variety.

Christ, B.J., K.G. Haynes, and B.T. Vinyard. 2002. Inheritance of early blight resistance from open-pollinated 4x-2x potato hybrids. Am J Potato Res 79:403-410.

Haynes, K.G., G.A. Porter, B.J. Christ, R.W. Goth, K.O. DeLong, D.E. Halseth, J.B. Sieczka, M.R. Henninger, S.B. Sterrett, G.C. Yencho, and R.E. Webb. 2001. Amey: A multi-purpose, russet-skinned cultivar for baking and specialty markets. Am J Potato Res 78:175-182

Haynes, K.G., B.J. Christ, D.P. Weingartner, D.S. Douches, C.A. Thill, G. Secor, W.E. Fry, and D.H. Lambert. 2002. Foliar resistance to late blight in potato clones evaluated in national trials in 1997. Amer. J. Potato Res. 79:451-457.

Porter, G.A. 2002. Eastern regional potato trials - 2000. 71st National Potato Germplasm Evaluation and Enhancement Report, 2000, K. G. Haynes, editor . 71:20-31.

Porter, G.A., J.A. Sisson, P. Ocaya, B. MacFarline, and P. Wardwell. 2002. Maine potato variety trials - 2000. 71st National Potato Germplasm Evaluation and Enhancement Report, 2000, K. G. Haynes, editor . 71:144-166

Porter, G.A., J.A. Sisson, P. Wardwell, B. Plummer, and B. MacFarline. 2002. Potato variety trials in Maine - 2002. PSE Departmental Mimeo 2002-02.

Sisson, J.A., G.A. Porter, H. DeJong, T.R. Tarn, G.C. Yencho, M.R. Henninger, J.B. Sieczka, D.E. Halseth, M. Kleinhenz, B.J. Christ, S.B. Sterrett, P. Turcotte, D. Lambert, P. Scott, W.J. Arsenault, P. Boswall, D.P. Weingartner, and J.M. White. 2002. Performance evaluations of potato clones and varieties in the Northeastern states  1999. MAFES Misc Public #751. 130 pp.