Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

The NE1014 Regional potato variety development project addresses the needs of the eastern potato industry through a coordinated process of potato breeding, selection, evaluation, and variety development. The project includes potato breeding and germplasm improvement within four U.S. programs (Maine, New York, North Carolina, and USDA-ARS-Beltsville) and a coordinated process of evaluation, and variety development that takes place within eight eastern states (ME, NY, PA, OH, NC, NJ, FL, VA). 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 research contributes to the development of a more economically and ecologically sustainable potato production system in the mid-Atlantic and SE US. In 2003, 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 content (important for chip and French fry processing) with resistance to common scab, or red skin color with resistance to the golden cyst nematode. Collectively, over 150,000 seedlings were grown to generate seedling tubers for evaluation. Selections were made from field plots to identify clones worthy of more intensive evaluation in following years in each site as well as in several regional sites. Twenty-four advanced clones, as well as several check varieties, were distributed for the NE-1014 regional evaluation project in 2003. 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 in Canada. The performance of these clones was critically discussed at the annual meeting (Portland, ME; Jan. 21, 2004). Breeders used this feedback to help make their annual decisions on which clones to continue to evaluate, and which clones to drop. Promising new clones from UM include AF 1753-16, a processing clone good for French fry production that was licensed to McCain Foods in the spring of 2003. To date, growers and processors have been very impressed with the yield and quality of this line. They see it as a potential replacement for Shepody, the standard early-season French fry variety. Other promising UM clones include: AF1424-7, AF 1455-20, AF 1758-7 and AF 1808-18. AF1424-7 was included in the 2003 National Snack Food Association chip trials and a new promising chipper clone, AF 2211-9 was entered for testing starting next year. B0564-8 from the USDA-ARS was released as Harley Blackwell during 2003 and was evaluated in several large-scale commercial trials in (NC, NJ, VA and PA) during the same year. 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. Additional promising clones from the USDA-ARS program available for regional testing were: B0766-3 which undergoing commercial testing and is nearing release as a chipping variety; and B1240-1, B1806-8, and B1826-1. Cornell has 12 advanced clones under consideration. NY112 was released as Marcy in 2002/2003 and NY102 was released as Monticello in 2003. Marcy is a high yielding chipping clone with resistance to common scab and the golden cyst nematode. During 2002/2003, Maine growers produced over 100 acres of Monticello for chipping. It performed well and is particularly valuable because it holds its color through long-term storage.. To address the IHN problems endemic to the mid-Atlantic and southeastern states, VA, NJ and NC initiated a collaborative IHN project with the USDA-ARS. During 2001 to 2003, 35 clones representing the IHN-resistant and IHN-susceptible clones from a set of 4x-2x S. tuberosum x S. phureja -S. stenotomum (tub x phu-stn) hybrids were compared with Atlantic as an IHN-susceptible check in field trials. Several clones in this population had significantly higher in specific gravity and less IHN than Atlantic. The majority of these clones were stable both before and after removal of environmental heterogeneity. Of these, 10 chipped acceptably out of 10oC. These hybrids will expand the genetic base for new high specific gravity chipping varieties that are free from IHN. Horticultural evaluations of advanced and preliminary clones were conducted in all participating states (# trial sites, # advanced breeding lines): FL (1, 35); ME (3, 205); NC (5, 197); NJ (2, 257); NY (5, 166); OH (1, 111); PA (5, 216) and VA (1, 72). These trials provide essential information on yield, internal and external tuber defects, size distribution, appearance, and general resistance to pests and physiological disorders. For example, of 197 first-time lines in NJ 147 had no IHN and 113 had no IHN or hollow heart, and 19 were advanced into replicated trials during 2004. In addition, chip quality from the field (NC, NJ, VA) or storage (ME, NY, OH, PA), French fry tests and culinary tests are conducted by cooperators. The most promising lines identified in the eight-state eastern trials (FL, ME, NJ, NC, NY, OH, PA, and VA) are introduced into commercial trials as soon as seed supplies can be increased. In OH, positive agronomic performance led a total of 38 experimental and advanced selections from all project breeding programs to be forwarded to strict tests of after-storage chip quality at the Pilot Plant of the Food Industries Center at OSU. Overall chip quality in approximately 10% of the selections equaled or exceeded that of industry standards. Management experiments were also conducted to refine recommendations for the most promising candidates for commercial trials. In ME, an experiment was conducted to determine whether candidate lines are tolerant to commonly-used herbicides. One displayed extreme sensitivity to metribuzin. Another experiment compared AF1753-16 to Shepody (the established early-season, French fry variety) at several harvest dates and plant spacings. AF1753-16 was superior to Shepody at all harvests. Yield and quality were best at the narrowest in-row spacing (10 inches) for all but the earliest harvest date. ME is currently conducting N fertility trials with AF1753-16. NJ management studies provided information on NY112 (Marcy)s response to in-row spacing and N fertilizer. Marketable yield increased with narrower in-row spacing (e.g. 519 cwt/A at 7" versus 466 cwt/A at 12"). Increasing marketable yield was observed as N rate was increased to 150-200 lbs/A. Advanced NY lines are routinely tested at various spacings, nitrogen rates, and/or storage temperatures. The impact of nitrogen, harvest date and handling on glycoalkaloid levels in Atlantic, Marcy and Snowden was studied for two seasons. 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 2003, 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.

Sterrett, S.B., M.R. Henninger, G.C. Yencho, W.Lu, B. Vinyard, and K.G. Haynes. 2003. Stability of internal heat necrosis and specific gravity in tetraploid x diploid potatoes. Crop Science. 43: 790-796. Porter, G.A. 2003. Eastern regional potato trials - 2001. 72nd National Potato Germplasm Evaluation and Enhancement Report, 2001, K. G. Haynes, editor . 72:1-14. Porter, G.A., J.A. Sisson, P. Ocaya, B. MacFarline, and P. Wardwell. 2003. Maine potato variety trials - 2001. 72nd National Potato Germplasm Evaluation and Enhancement Report, 2001, K. G. Haynes, editor . 72:111-135 Porter, G.A., P. Ocaya, P. Wardwell, B. Plummer, and B. MacFarline. 2003. Potato variety trials in Maine - 2003. PSE Departmental Mimeo 2003-01.