Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

The 36th annual meeting of the NCCC84 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Dearborn, Michigan on December 10-11, 2005. Dr. David Spooner chaired the meeting on December 10 and Dr. Shelley Jansky chaired it on December 11. David Spooner called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m. Attendees introduced themselves. Christian Thill led a discussion about the regional trials. The importance of developing a standardized scoring system was discussed. Thompson/Jansky made a motion to develop coordinated scoring scales for the North Central Regional trials. The motion passed. Tom Michaels introduced himself. He indicated that it is important to determine where innovations are likely to be accepted in potato breeding efforts. In addition, he mentioned that each breeding program must have both uniqueness and collaborative ties with other programs. Vanessa Currie from the University of Guelph discussed her dryland trials. In addition, she mentioned that she has discovered variety trial data sheets from 1885-1899. Susie Thompson discussed new releases from North Dakota State University. Ben Kudwa indicated that potato breeders and the US Potato Board must communicate with each other to try to stimulate demand. David Spooner announced the 90th Annual Meeting of the Potato Association of America, jointly meeting with the VI International Solanaceae Conference and the Solanaceae Genomics Network in Madison, Wisconsin, on July 23-27, 2006. Reports were presented from individual states (see Abbreviated State Reports of the NCCC84 Committee). Benoit Bizimungu was nominated and unanimously elected to serve as secretary for the 2006 meeting. The officers for 2006 are: Chair  Shelley Jansky, USDA/ARS, Madison, Wisconsin Vice-chair  Jiwan Palta, Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin Secretary - Benoit Bizimungu, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Alberta Participants would like to commend David Douches, Christian Thill, and Ben Kudwa for encouraging industry representatives to attend the meeting. Participants commend the speakers at the National Potato Council Potato Industry Outlook Summit and Seed Seminar, held prior to this meeting. The next meeting will be held in Chicago, Illinois, immediately prior to the National Potato Council Meeting.

Accomplishments This research emphasizes the development and evaluation of potato cultivars and germplasm with improved yield, quality, and disease resistance. In the North Central region in 2005, over 400,000 new hybrid seedlings were evaluated. These seedlings represent thousands of unique families. The evaluation of large numbers of seedlings increases opportunities for identifying superior clones for variety development. Boulder, Tablestock and chip-processing with excellent quality attractive large white skin and tubers; Dakota Jewel, Tablestock with early maturity, medium yields good culinary quality; Freedom Russet, Dual purpose exceeding Russet Burbank in US#1 yield, with resistance to scab, Verticillium and early blight; Jacqueline Lee, Tablestock selection with smooth, attractive appearance that has foliar resistance to the US8 genotype of late blight; Liberator, Chip-processing from 5ºC with strong scab resistance; Megachip, Chipping with early tuber bulking and resistant to scab and has good chip color from 5ºC storage; Michigan Purple, Tablestock with excellent quality attractive purple skin and white for the fresh market; Millennium Russet, Dual purpose russet with superior tuber appearance good specific gravity and superior fry quality after 45ºF storage. It is medium resistant to scab, PVY and early blight; MSG227-2, Chip-processing with cold-storage potential and scab resistance; MSJ461-1, Chip-processing with strong foliar resistance to late blight; MN 15620, Processing clone with yellow flesh and resistance to PVY and PLRV; MN 18747, Processing clone better than Shepody with white skin and flesh, early maturity and expresses normal symptoms of PVY and PLRV infection unlike Shepody; ND2470-27, Chipping and fresh with round, smooth tubers and white skin, white flesh and shallow eyes that chips from 5ºC; ND5822C-7, Chipping from 5ºC with high yields round, smooth tubers with bright white skin and flesh, and CPB field tolerance; White Pearl, Chipping with resistance to cold sweetening at 5ºC; Villetta Rose, Tablestock red with very uniform tubers with stable dark red color and great appearance with shallow eyes and excellent organoleptic traits for canning; Late blight: EGS for late blight resistance evaluating new hybrid progeny as transplants or seedling tubers shows merit and can accelerate EGS for LB resistance by 2 years. In Michigan, EGS evaluation of foliar late blight reaction increases the efficiency of early generation by allowing the breeder to quickly remove susceptible clones before further time and resources are invested. WI used S. demissum, S. stoloniferum, S. tuberosum ssp. Andigena, and potato-S. bulbocastanum somatic hybrids for LB resistance. Fungicide x variety interactions: Experiments were carried out in MI to evaluate combining host resistance with reduced rates and frequencies of fungicide fluazinam to control foliar potato late blight. The study demonstrates that potato cvs./ABL with reduced susceptibility to late blight can be managed with reduced fungicide rates and longer application intervals, thus offering a less expensive option for potato late blight control. Verticillium wilt and early dying: Early generation selection for resistance to Verticillium wilt would allow for faster progress in breeding for this trait. Studies are being completed to determine whether seedlings or first generation tubers can be used to identify resistant clones. In addition, real-time PCR is being tested as a method to identify resistant clones. In MI, Potato Early-Die Disease Complex (PED) was studied on 24 lines. MSH095-4, FL1879 and W1201 exhibited significant tolerance. Common Scab: A national study indicated that resistance response of clones varies considerably over environments and evaluation at multiple sites is important for identifying clones with stable disease phenotypes. EGS evaluation was initiated at MI and WI and includes field and lab-based assays. Hybrid seedlings evaluated increases annually and EGS coupled with cultural practices resulted in about 20% of the WI lines showing very good resistance. Colorado potato beetle: Insecticide resistance to imidacloprid, appeared for the first time in the Midwest; increasing the likelihood of widespread insecticide failures in future. EGS evaluation of foliar resistance to CPB was conducted throughout the region. MI continues traditionally bred and genetically engineered resistant to CPB. Defoliation was near zero and no CPB larvae survived in field cage studies on lines engineered with Cry3A Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) as a resistance factor. Lines with Cry1IA1 Bt, bred for resistance to potato tuberworm, reduced defoliation by CPB by >50%. avidin as a resistance factor decreased CPB feeding. Traditionally bred lines showed moderate levels of resistance. Viruses and Aphids: Host resistance for PVY revealed the highly heritable nature of PVY asymptomatic (ASM) expression, the existence of ASM gene(s) in both 2x and 4x potatoes, and ability to transmit these gene(s) by n and 2n gametes. PLRV resistance was found in 16 families. Significant location differences emphasized the inability to select for PLRV resistance without a post-harvest storage interval. Studying aphid behavior is critical to decreasing agro-chemical use promoting sustainable farming. Results have facilitated reduced insecticidal use by site-specific application, new knowledge on the epidemiology of potato viruses and expanded host range of green peach aphid to soybean, and geographical/environmental/meteorological influence on aphid population dispersal. MN has identified 20 clones that consistently express field resistance to PVY and PLRV; PVY resistance protect against all PVY strains known to occur in Minnesota (PVYO, PVYN, PVYNTN, and PVY O:N recombinants). Of the 20 PVY and PLRV resistant lines, one (designated JAD24) has shown resistance to both green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) and potato aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae). Line JAD24 was identified as containing both Ryadg and Rysto as well as PLRV.1, a marker for PLRV resistance. JAD24 lacks the Mi gene from Lycopersicon esculentum but contains markers for Potato virus S and Globodera pallida resistance. JAD24 has been crossed with cv. Chieftain to produce an F1 population, designated HPR, and 100 of 300 seeds have been grown out. Bacterial ring rot: Foliar symptoms of BRR, were present in all 23 inoculated selections by 90 DAP, except MI selection JACQUELINE LEE, which failed to display characteristic foliar symptoms of BRR. Remaining selections exhibited characteristic tuber and foliar symptoms. Cold sweetening resistance: The inheritance and predictability of two biological markers to identify clones with potential to resist cold sweetening (CS) by evaluating A-I and/or A-II isozymes of UGPase established that based on the correlation of chip color score with isozyme profiles and BAcInv activity, the families could be grouped into the following four distinct classes. The primary factor predicting resistance was the level of BAcInv activity. In EGS the optimum sample size of one slice from one tuber reduces type I errors, discarding clones that should be retained. EGS for CS resistance resulted in greatest genetic gain from 4x-4x crosses. However, significant improvement for CS, coupled with disease resistance resulted from 2x potato species. Two species, S. raphanifolium and S. sparsipilum, had CS ability and late blight resistance; 232 clones were selected from these species crosses. Cultural management and N utilization: MI determined variety response to four nitrogen levels at moderate-high plant densities. Variety determined yield and tuber quality response showed highly significant interactions with nitrogen and density. Consistently low yields resulted from application of slow-release fertilizer at the 180 lb N/acre, however this was the most environmentally-friendly treatment associated with the lowest level of residual nitrate-N in the soil profile after harvest. The poultry manure + fertilizer treatment was the best economic option in terms of optimizing both yield and reduced soil profile nitrate-N. The highest yield response of chipping genotypes was from UEC and MSJ461-1; tablestock genotype Michigan Purple showed high yield potential across all management regimes evaluated. Overall, clones differed in N response and less N will be recommended in production practices. Twenty-four novel sexual diploid and triploid inter-series hybrids were generated from wild species crosses by using post-pollination applications of auxin and embryo rescue in vitro representing the first step in overcoming post-zygotic reproductive barriers among isolated species. Transgenic approaches offer breeders opportunity to combine novel traits or resistance mechanisms that may not be possible through conventional approaches. MI has obtained the RB gene from Dr. Jiang and transformations introduced this gene in susceptible and resistant lines for LB resistance. Along with these transformations, we are exploring transformation strategies to create marker-free transgenic plants.

Bamberg, J. B , J. P. Palta and S. E. Vega. 2005. Solanum commersonii cytoplasm does not improve freezing tolerance in substitution backcross hybrids with frost-sensitive potato species. Am. J. Potato Res. 82:251-254. Bamberg, J. B. and A. del Rio. 2005. Conservation of Genetic Resources. In: Maharaj K. Razdan and Autar K. Mattoo (Eds.), 2005. Genetic Improvement of Solanaceous Crops Vol.1: Potato. Science Publishers, Inc., Enfield, USA, 451 pp. Coombs, J. J., D. S. Douches, S. G. Cooper, E. J. Grafius, W. L. Pett, and D. D. Moyer. 2005. Combining natural and engineered host plant resistance mechanisms in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) for Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata say): choice and no-choice field studies. J. Am. Soc. Hort.Sci. (in press). del Rio, A. H. and J. B. Bamberg. 2004. Geographical parameters and proximity to related species predict genetic variation in the inbred potato species Solanum verrucosum Schlechtd. Crop Science 44:1170-1177. del Rio, A., J. Bamberg and C. Fernandez. 2005. Assessment of the genetic structure of in situ populations of wild potato Solanum fendleri eco-geographically dispersed in the Chiricahua mountains, Arizona, USA. Am. J. Potato Res. 82 (6): Dinu, I. I., R .J. Hayes, R. G. Kynast, R. L. Phillips, and C. A. Thill. 2005. Novel inter-series hybrids in Solanum, section Petota. Theor Appl Genet 110:403-415. Douches, D. S. and E. J. Grafius. 2005. Transformation for Insect Resistance. In. Genetic Improvement of Solanaceous Crops, Vol. 2: Potato (Eds. M.K. Razdan and A.K. Mattoo), Science Publishers, Inc. USA pp. 235-266. Frost, K. E., S. H. Jansky, and D. I. Rouse. Transmission of Verticillium wilt resistance to tetraploid potato via unilateral sexual polyploidization. Euphytica (In press). Groza, H. I., B. D. Bowen, W. R. Stevenson, J. R. Sowokinos, M. T. Glynn, C. Thill, S. J. Peloquin, A. J. Bussan, and J. Jiang.2006. White Pearl  A chipping potato variety with high resistance to cold sweetening. Am. J. Potato Res. (in press). Hayes, R. J., I. I. Dinu, and C. A. Thill. 2005. Unilateral and bilateral hybridization barriers in inter-series crosses of 4x 2EBN Solanum stoloniferum, S. pinnatisectum, S. cardiophyllum, and 2x 2EBN S. tuberosum haploids and haploid  species hybrids. Sexual Plant Reproduction 17:303-311. Jansky, S. H. Overcoming hybridization barriers in potato. Plant Breeding (In press). Kawchuk, L. M., D. R. Lynch, R. Yada, J. Lynn and B. Bizimungu. 2005. Marker-assisted selection of potato clones that process directly from cold storage with light fry colour. Proceedings of the 89th Annual Meeting of the Potato Association of America, Calgary, AB, July 17-22, 2005. Kirk, W. W., Abu-El Samena, F. M., Muhinyuzaa, J. B., Hammerschmidt, D. S. Douches, C. A. Thill, H. Groza, and A. L. Thompson. 2005. Evaluation of potato late blight management utilizing host plant resistance and reduced rates and frequencies of fungicide applications. Crop Protection. 24:961-970. Kiru, S., S. Makovskaya, J. Bamberg and A. del Rio. 2005. New sources of resistance to race Ro1 of the Golden nematode (Globodera rostochiensis Woll.) among reputed duplicate germplasm accessions of Solanum tuberosum L. subsp. andigena (Juz. et Buk.) Hawkes in the VIR (Russian) and US Potato Genebanks. Genet. Resources and Crop Evol. 52:145-149. Lara-Chavez, A., and C. A. Thill. 2005. Sample size for early generation selection of cold chipping genotypes in potatoes. Crop Science (accepted). Lozoya-Saldana, H. O. Barrios, and J. Bamberg. 2005. Phytophthora infestans; races vs genotypes in the Toluca Valley, Mexico. Am. J. Potato Res. 82 (6): Mollov, D.S., and C.A. Thill. 2005. Breeding behavior of potato virus Y asymptomatic expression in 2x and 4x potato crosses. Crop Science (accepted). Nzaramba, Ndambe M., John Bamberg, Douglas C. Scheuring, and J. Creighton Miller. 2005. Antioxidant activity in Solanum species as influenced by seed type and growing location. Am. J. Potato Res.. 82 (6): Rubio-Covarrubias, O.A., D. Douches, R. Hammerschmidt, A. da Rocha and W. Kirk. 2005. Effect of temperature and photoperiod on resistance against Phytophthora infestans in susceptible and resistant potato cultivars: 1) Effect on deposition of structural phenolics on the cell wall and resistance against penetration. Amer. J. Potato Res. (accepted). Simko, I., S. H. Jansky, S. Stephenson, and D. M. Spooner. Genetics of resistance to pests and disease. In: R. Viola, C. Gebhardt, D. MacKerron, and R. Vreugdenhil (eds.) Potato Biology and Biotechnology: Advances and Perspectives (In press). Sowokinos, J., S. Gupta, and C.A. Thill. 2005. Introduction of an anti-sweetening gene (UgpA) from the cultivar Snowden into chipping cultivar Dakota Pearl. XVI Triennial Conference of the European Association for Potato Research. Bilbao, Spain. Spooner, D. M., R. G. van den Berg, A. Rodrguez, J. Bamberg, R. J. Hijmans, and S. I. Lara-Cabrera. 2004. Wild potatoes (Solanum section Petota) of North and Central America. Syst. Bot. Monogr. Vol. 68. 209 pp. Thill, C. A. and I. I. Dinu. 2005. Examining chromosomal interactions in inter-series hybrids of Solanum spp., section Petota. XVI Triennial Conference of the European Association for Potato Research. Bilbao, Spain. Thompson, A. L., R. G. Novy, B. L. Farnsworth, G. A. Secor, N. C. Gudmestad, J .R. Sowokinos, E. T. Holm, J. H. Lorenzen, and D. Preston. 2005. Dakota Pearl: an attractive, bright-white skinned, cold chipping cultivar with tablestock potential. Am J Potato Res. Vega S. E., A. H. del Rio, J. B. Bamberg and J. P. Palta. 2004. Evidence for the up-regulation of stearoyl-ACP (delta9) desaturase gene expression during cold acclimation. Am J. Potato Res 81:125-135. Vega, S. E., J. P. Palta and J. B. Bamberg. 2005. Exploiting cultivated germplasm to breed for enhanced tuber calcium accumulation ability. Mtg. Potato Assoc. Amer. Calgery, CA July 2005 (abstract G55). Vega, Sandra E., Jiwan P. Palta and John Bamberg. 2005. Exploiting cultivated germplasm to breed for enhanced tuber calcium accumulation ability. Am J. Potato Res. 82 (6): Vega, Sandra E., Jiwan P. Palta and John Bamberg. 2005. Root zone calcium can modulate GA induced tuberization signal. Am J. Potato Res. 82 (6): Zlesak, D.C., C.A. Thill, and N.O. Anderson. 2005. Trifluralin-mediated polyploidization of Rosa chinensis minima (Sims) Voss seedlings. Euphytica 141:281-290.