Source: UNIVERSITY OF MAINE submitted to NRP
POTATO BREEDING AND VARIETY DEVELOPMENT FOR IMPROVED QUALITY AND PEST RESISTANCE IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
SPECIAL GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0230645
Grant No.
2012-34141-20183
Cumulative Award Amt.
$249,600.00
Proposal No.
2012-02637
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2012
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2014
Grant Year
2012
Program Code
[AN]- Potato Research
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE
(N/A)
ORONO,ME 04469
Performing Department
Plant, Soil and Environmental Sciences
Non Technical Summary
The eastern U.S. potato industry needs new potato varieties to overcome pest problems while reducing agricultural chemical use and to enhance marketing opportunities. This project will conduct potato breeding, germplasm enhancement, and selection studies to improve potato productivity and quality for important eastern U.S. markets. Novel and highly improved potato germplasm and varieties will be developed to reduce the impact of economically important potato pests, such as golden nematode, late blight, and scab.
Animal Health Component
85%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
5%
Applied
85%
Developmental
10%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
2021310108150%
2111310108110%
2121310108120%
2031310108110%
2041310108110%
Knowledge Area
212 - Pathogens and Nematodes Affecting Plants; 204 - Plant Product Quality and Utility (Preharvest); 211 - Insects, Mites, and Other Arthropods Affecting Plants; 203 - Plant Biological Efficiency and Abiotic Stresses Affecting Plants; 202 - Plant Genetic Resources;

Subject Of Investigation
1310 - Potato;

Field Of Science
1081 - Breeding;
Goals / Objectives
1)Improve potato productivity and quality for important eastern U.S. markets by breeding and developing improved potato varieties; 2)Reduce the impact of economically important potato pests in the eastern U.S. by breeding and developing improved potato germplasm; 3)Select widely-adapted potato varieties by screening yield, quality, and pest resistance traits at multiple eastern locations; 4)Facilitate commercial adoption of improved new varieties by coordinating initial commercial trials and by developing management recommendations; 5)Curate and refine our project website and web-based potato variety performance database used by researchers, extension, potato growers, and allied industry members.
Project Methods
This is an integrated, eight-state (Florida, Maine, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia) potato breeding and variety development project for the eastern U.S. Potato breeding takes place in four states with each program filling specific specialty areas. Collaborative multi-site selection, evaluation, and variety development work is conducted among all states and with the USDA-ARS-BARC potato breeding program. The overall goal of the project is to develop an array of attractive, highly productive, disease- and insect-resistant potato varieties that can be employed by small and large potato producers to enhance marketing opportunities, farm sustainability and grower profits. The specific objectives of this integrated, multi-disciplinary project are to: 1) Improve potato productivity and quality for important eastern U.S. markets by breeding and developing improved potato varieties; 2) Reduce the impact of economically important potato pests in the eastern U.S. by breeding and developing improved potato germplasm; 3) Select widely-adapted potato varieties by screening yield, quality, and pest resistance traits at multiple eastern locations; 4) Facilitate commercial adoption of improved new varieties by coordinating initial commercial trials and by developing management recommendations; and 5) Curate and refine our project website and web-based potato variety performance database used by researchers, extension, potato growers, and allied industry members. Development of varieties with durable, multiple resistances to important diseases such as late blight, verticillium wilt, early blight, scab, fusarium, potato virus y, golden nematode, and insect resistance are long-term priorities. The project focuses on classical breeding techniques, but also includes development of marker-assisted selection for resistance to internal defects, diseases, and insect pests. Our selection procedures utilize the diverse growing conditions present in the eastern U.S. to select potato germplasm with resistance to pests, heat stress, and stress-related defects. The project provides a coordinated, team approach for helping to solve current and future problems encountered by the U.S. potato industry.

Progress 09/01/12 to 08/31/14

Outputs
Target Audience: Potato growers, potato processors, home gardeners, and consumers of potatoes and potato products. Research results are delivered in written reports, popular press, web sites, and presentations at grower meetings. Variety development involves applied research which is conducted on University research station farms, commercial farms, and by home gardeners. Some of the new potato varieties go directly to consumers via supermarkets, farmers' markets, and roadside stands, while others are utilized by potato chip and/or french fry processors. The resulting processed products are purchased by consumers. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Eastern potato production represents hundreds of farms and more than $460 million cash farm receipts; therefore, the impact of a successful new potato variety can mean many millions of dollars to the industry. Consumers also benefit from the high quality, local food production resulting from new potato variety adoption. Disease resistant varieties generated by this project have the potential to greatly reduce growers' losses to devastating diseases such as pink rot and/or late blight. Adoption of late blight resistant varieties would reduce the number of fungicide applications needed to grow a potato crop and/or reduce the risk of late blight infection and spread. Golden nematode, a serious pest found in NY and other countries, cannot be effectively managed without the resistant potato varieties generated by this and other potato breeding projects. The eastern potato breeding and selection effort produces new varieties and evaluates their potential to serve fresh, processing, and specialty markets in the East. Red Maria (NY129) was released in 2010 and two new chipping varieties, Lamoka (NY139) and Waneta (NY138) were released in 2011. Elkton (B1992-106) was released in 2012, while Sebec (AF0338-17) and Easton (AF3001-6) were released in 2014. These varieties and other promising clones from the project continue to be evaluated and adopted by the potato industry. Adoption and seed multiplication take considerable time in the potato industry, so impacts occur over a long time period. Recent eastern releases since 2002 (those listed above plus Beacon Chipper, Marcy, Monticello, Harley Blackwell, Red Maria, Lehigh, Peter Wilcox, and others) were grown on 1510 ME and NY seed acres during 2014 with a potential seed value of $3.6M. The resulting seed crop had the potential to plant 12021 acres in 2015 with a ware value estimated at $36.1M. Over a longer time frame, 30 of the ~120 varieties listed in the ME and NY certified seed directories were released by the Eastern programs since 1990. These releases represent 2095 seed acres with a potential seed value of $6.3M. This seed crop had the potential to plant 18,305 acres in 2015 with a projected value of $55.2M. This excellent rate of adoption will grow over time as the industry builds seed supplies. There is particularly strong grower interest in improved new chipping varieties to meet quality requirements of eastern processing plants. Harley Blackwell, Elkton, and Sebec (AF0338-17) fit this need in NC and other southeastern states where internal defects reduce the quality of the current standard chipping variety, Atlantic. Lamoka and Waneta are new chipping varieties that are being rapidly adopted by the industry. Easton (AF3001-6), AF3362-1, and AF4296-3 have potential as improved fry processing varieties. Specialty varieties, Adirondack Blue, Adirondack Red, Lehigh and Peter Wilcox, are being adopted by small-scale fresh market growers because of their yellow, blue, or red flesh color and excellent culinary quality. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This project breeds, selects and develops new potato varieties that will be beneficial to potato producers in the eastern U.S. Crosses between parents with desirable traits take place at ME, NY, NC, and USDA Beltsville, MD. Field sites in ME, NY, MD, PA, OH, VA, NC, and FL are used to test the breeding materials for yield and quality traits over a wide range of growing conditions. The yield and tuber quality evaluations begun under this project during 2012 were completed during 2014. The results included measurement of internal tuber defects, cooking quality, chip and french fry quality, tuber glycoalkaloid levels, tuber dormancy in storage, and resistance to fusarium dry rot. The most promising clones from 2013 were advanced for continued testing in 2014, while those which were judged to have significant weaknesses were dropped from testing. Seedstocks of the clones retained for 2014 testing were distributed to trial sites in ME, NY, PA, OH, MD, VA, NC, FL, as well as other US states and Canadian provinces. Four eastern clones (AF0338-17, AF4157-6, NY140, and NY148) were entered into the 2013 and 2014 US Potato Board chipping trials. All four have demonstrate good commercial potential. Seed multiplication of the most promising clones identified during the 2013 growing season resulted in commercial-scale trials during 2014. From the ME program, there were seven advanced clones entered into commercial evaluations during 2013 and 2014. As a result of marketing tests, AF0338-17, a round-white that is widely adapted to eastern growing conditions and produces excellent chips from the field, was commercially released as Sebec. AF3001-6, a high yielding, verticillium resistant, fry processing clones with excellent fried product color was released as Easton. AF4296-3 is a processing russet with outstanding french fry quality. AF3362-1 continues evaluation as a dual-purpose russet, while AF4659-12 is being evaluated as a specialty, fingerling-type yellow-fleshed clones and AF4138-8 is being evaluated for round-white fresh market. AF4648-2 has potential for chipping and fresh market use and has resistance to scab, PVY, and golden nematode. To facilitate the adoption process, ME coordinated 19 commercial-scale trials representing 10 new potato varieties (4 chippers, 1 round-white, 2 russets, 1 red, and 2 specialty types) and 92 acres during 2014. Additional commercial trials were conducted in the other participating states. Potato clones in these commercial tests came from ME, ND, NY, and USDA-ARS. The most promising clones have been entered into disease-free tissue culture and commercial seedstocks are being multiplied and made available to seed potato growers in ME and elsewhere.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Haynes, K.G., D.M. Gergela, X.S. Qu, M.W. Peck, G.C. Yencho, M.E. Clough, M.R. Henninger, D.E. Halseth, G.A. Porter, P.C. Ocaya, L. Zotarelli, S.R. Menasha, B.J. Christ, L. Wanner, C.M. Hutchinson. 2014. Elkton: A new potato variety with resistance to internal heat necrosis and hollow heart and suitable for chipping directly from the field in the southern United States. Amer. J. Potato Res. 91:269-276.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Gergela, D., L. Zotarelli, K. Haynes, and G.A. Porter. 2014. Effect of in-row seed spacing on yield, internal and external quality, and specfici gravity of Atlantic, Harley Blackwell, and Elkton grown in Florida. Am J Potato Res 91:48 (abst).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Porter, G.A., P. Ocaya, and T.Mills 2014. A comparison of three potassium fertilization programs. Proceedings of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Potato Conference, Caribou, ME. January 24, 2014 (abstr.).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Porter, G.A., P. Ocaya, and T.Mills 2014. Update on new potato varieties. Proceedings of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Potato Conference, Caribou, ME. January 24, 2014 (abstr.).
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Porter, G.A., P. Ocaya, B. MacFarline, and B. Plummer. 2014. Potato variety trial results in Maine, 2014 growing season. PSE Departmental Mimeo 2014-01, 42 pp.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Porter, G.A., P. Ocaya, and T. Mills. 2014. Maine potato breeding program annual report, 2014 growing season. PSE Departmental Mimeo, 20 pp.


Progress 09/01/12 to 08/31/13

Outputs
Target Audience: Potato growers, potato processors, home gardeners, and consumers of potatoes and potato products. Research results are delivered in written reports, popular press, web sites, and presentations at grower meetings. Variety development involves applied research which is conducted on University research station farms, commercial farms, and by home gardeners. Some of the new potato varieties go directly to consumers via supermarkets, farmers’ markets, and roadside stands, while others are utilized by potato chip and/or french fry processors. The resulting processed products are purchased by consumers. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Eastern potato production represents hundreds of farms and more than $460 million cash farm receipts; therefore, the impact of a successful new potato variety can mean many millions of dollars to the industry. Consumers also benefit from the high quality, local food production resulting from new potato variety adoption. Disease resistant varieties generated by this project have the potential to greatly reduce growers’ losses to devastating diseases such as pink rot and/or late blight. Adoption of late blight resistant varieties would reduce the number of fungicide applications needed to grow a potato crop and/or reduce the risk of late blight infection and spread. Golden nematode, a serious pest found in NY and other countries, cannot be effectively managed without the resistant potato varieties generated by this and other potato breeding projects. The eastern potato breeding and selection effort produces new varieties and evaluates their potential to serve fresh, processing, and specialty markets in the East. Red Maria (NY129) was released in 2010 and two new chipping varieties, Lamoka (NY139) and Waneta (NY138) were released in 2011. Elkton (B1992-106) was released in 2012, while Sebec (AF0338-17) and Easton (AF3001-6) will be released in early 2014. These varieties and other promising clones from the project continue to be evaluated and adopted by the potato industry. Adoption and seed multiplication take considerable time in the potato industry, so impacts occur over a long time period. Recent eastern releases since 2002 (those listed above plus Beacon Chipper, Marcy, Monticello, Harley Blackwell, Red Maria, Lehigh, and Peter Wilcox) were grown on 1027 ME and NY seed acres during 2013 with a seed value of $3.08M. The resulting seed crop had the potential to plant 9242 acres in 2014 with a ware value conservatively estimated at $27.7M. Over a longer time frame, 26 of the ~100 varieties listed in the ME and NY certified seed directories were released by the Eastern programs since 1990. These releases represent 1883 seed acres with a seed value of $5.7M. This seed crop had the potential to plant 17,000 acres in 2014 with a conservatively projected value of $50.8M. This excellent rate of adoption will grow over time as the industry builds seed supplies. There is particularly strong grower interest in improved new chipping varieties to meet quality requirements of eastern processing plants. Harley Blackwell, Elkton, and Sebec (AF0338-17) fit this need in NC and other southeastern states where internal defects reduce the quality of the current standard chipping variety, Atlantic. Lamoka and Waneta are new chipping varieties that are being rapidly adopted by the industry. Easton (AF3001-6) and AF3362-1 have potential as improved fry processing varieties. Specialty varieties, Adirondack Blue, Adirondack Red, Lehigh and Peter Wilcox, are being adopted by small-scale fresh market growers because of their yellow, blue, or red flesh color and excellent culinary quality. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? We plan to continue our potato breeding and variety development efforts along similar lines as past efforts, including commercial trialing of the most advanced potato clones from the project. We will continue to work with constuents ranging from individual growers to state grower groups and processors to improve the effectiveness of the project. We will continue to update and improve the project database and website

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Potato breeding for improved quality and pest resistance was conducted at ME, NY, NC, and USDA-ARS Beltsville, MD during 2013. These four programs focus on specific pest and marketing issues, so that regional resources are used efficiently. For example, ME is the only breeding program in the region which focuses on russets and long whites for processing (60% russets, 30% fresh and chipping whites, 10% specialty). ME emphasized research on late blight, potato virus Y, and scab resistance. Each program uses diverse potato germplasm as parents for crosses that result in improved plant material for selection and commercialization. In ME, greenhouse crosses resulted in 499,400 true potato seeds representing 669 families. Seedling tubers (52,197) from prior ME crosses and from germplasm exchanges with other breeding programs (WI, CO, VA, USDA-ARS, and ND) were planted in the field with ~1150 (2.2%) selected for continued evaluation in 2014. All third-year clones were sent to NC to screen for heat tolerance. ME conducts most of its own pest resistance screening; however, PA provides a centralized site for screening late blight, early blight, and powdery scab resistance. Sixty-five third-year and 15 advanced clones from the ME program had late blight resistance in 2013 tests. The most advanced of these, AF3317-15, continued to be evaluated in processor trials during 2013. Three advanced clones showed immunity to PVY during 2013. Seventy-four of 148 selections had scab resistance in our 2013 screening trial. USDA-ARS in NY provides golden nematode screening for the eastern programs and 11 of 53 ME clones showed resistance during 2013. Potato variety trials were conducted at three ME locations during 2013 [Presque Isle, 59 entries; St Agatha, 83 entries; and Exeter, 37 entries]. The numbers of promising clones identified by market category were: chipping (7), fresh market whites (6), russet and long-whites (12), reds (4), and specialty (3). Forty-one advanced clones (5th year and older) from the ME program were retained for 2014 testing. This group consists of 11 whites and chippers, 20 russets and longs, 7 reds, and 3 yellow-fleshed or specialty clones. The most advanced clones continued commercial evaluations during 2013. AF0338-17 is being released as Sebec. It is a round-white that is widely adapted to eastern growing conditions and produces excellent chips from the field. AF3001-6, being released as Easton, is a high yielding, verticillium wilt resistant, french fry processing clone. To facilitate the adoption process, ME coordinated 16 commercial-scale trials representing 11 new potato varieties (2 chippers, 1 round-white, 3 russets, 3 reds, and 2 specialty market yellow fleshed) and 111 acres during 2013. Additional commercial trials were conducted in the other participating states. Potato clones in these commercial tests came from ME, NY, ND, USDA-ARS and the Pacific Northwest.

Publications

  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Porter, G.A., P. Ocaya, B. MacFarline, and B. Plummer. 2013. Potato variety trial results in Maine, 2013 growing season. PSE Departmental Mimeo 2012-01, 42 pp. Porter, G.A., P. Ocaya, and T. Mills. 2013. Maine potato breeding program annual report, 2013 growing season. PSE Departmental Mimeo, 20 pp.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Gergela, D.M., L. Zotarelli, K. Haynes, and G.A. Porter. 2013. B1992-106, a new potential chipping potato variety for Florida. Am J Potato Research 90: 131 (abstr.) Porter, G.A., P. Ocaya, and T.Mills 2013. New varieties from the breeding and variety development program. Proceedings of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Potato Conference, Caribou, ME. January 24, 2013 (abstr.). Porter, G.A. and P.C. Ocaya 2013. National fry processing trial and USPB/SFA chipping potato trial. Proceedings of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Potato Conference, Caribou, ME. January 24, 2013 (abstr.)