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.
1007083
Grant No.
2015-34141-23964
Cumulative Award Amt.
$250,500.00
Proposal No.
2015-06827
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2015
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2017
Grant Year
2015
Program Code
[AN]- Potato Research
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE
(N/A)
ORONO,ME 04469
Performing Department
School of Food & Agriculture
Non Technical Summary
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 eastern U.S. potato inductry needs new potato varieties to enhance marketing opportunities. New potato varieties are also needed to overcome pest problems while reducing agricultural chemical use and to provide resistance to climactic stresses, such as increasing temperatures. The project will conductclassical potato breeding and selection studies to imprive potato productivity and quality for important Eastern U.S. markets. Improved potato varieties and breeding materials will be developed to reduce the impact of economically important potato pests such as golden nematode, late blight, scab, and potato virus y. The project includes development and use of marker-assisted selection techniques to help speed the selection and improvement process. Project results are delivered to the grower community, industry, and consumers via fields days, trade shows, printed materials, presentations at Extension and industry meetings, as well as via our project web site. Growers and processors are introduced to candidate potato varieties via the previously mentioned methods and through commercial demonstration trials on growers' farms.The project provides a coordinated, team approach for helping to solve current and future problems encountered by the U.S. potato industry.
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
2021310108170%
2021310108010%
2111310108110%
2121310108110%
Knowledge Area
212 - Pathogens and Nematodes Affecting Plants; 211 - Insects, Mites, and Other Arthropods Affecting Plants; 202 - Plant Genetic Resources;

Subject Of Investigation
1310 - Potato;

Field Of Science
1081 - Breeding; 1080 - Genetics;
Goals / Objectives
The overall goal is to develop 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 profits. The specific objectives are: 1) Improve productivity and quality for important eastern U.S. markets by developing and releasing superior potato varieties using conventional and marker-assisted potato breeding methods; 2) Reduce the impact of economically important biotic and abiotic potato production constraints 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) Enhance the availability and use of project-related, research-based information through the use of digital media.
Project Methods
This is an integrated, seven-state (Florida, Maine, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania,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 developing and releasing superior potato varieties using conventional and marker-assisted potato breeding methods; 2) Reduce the impact of economically important biotic and abiotic potato production constraints in the eastern U.S. by breeding and developing improved potato germplasm and varieties; 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) Enhance the availability and use of project-related, research-based information and improved potato germplasm, especially through the use of digital media. Development of varieties with durable, multiple resistances to important diseases such as late blight, scab, potato virus y, verticillium wilt, early blight, and golden nematode, as well as insect resistance are long-term priorities. The project focuses on classical breeding techniques, but also includes development and use 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 09/01/15 to 08/31/17

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?Students, technicians, and professionals working on the project learned about agricultural research, potato breeding, potato cultivar development, and the need for improved potato varieties. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Advanced clones from our project were introduced to growers through field days, presentations, publications, web sites, and direct contact with stakeholders at state, regional and national potato industry meetings. NY's two most recent chipping releases, Waneta (NY138) and Lamoka (NY139), were developed as part of our collective research effort. Based on certified seed acreage in 2016, Lamoka (2366 acres) has now replaced Snowden (1692 acres) as the standard storage chipping variety across the U.S. Waneta has also been widely adopted (713 acres of seed in 2016). We estimate the value of potato chip production from Lamoka and Waneta for 2017 will be one billion dollars (~15% of US chip production). From ME, Sebec (AF0338-17) continues to be commercially adopted for out-of-field chipping and fresh market use due to its outstanding yields and good resistance to internal defects. Caribou Russet (AF3362-1) was released during 2015 for fry processing and russet fresh market. It is being rapidly adopted due to high yields, scab and verticillium resistance, and excellent consumer quality. AF4124-7, AF4172-2, and AF4296-3 are advanced fry processing clones that are generating strong commercial interest. Twenty additional French fry clones are currently being evaluated by North American potato processors. Our project continues to develop and release varieties for the specialty fresh market including: Little Ruby (B2152-17), Upstate (NY150), Strawberry Paw (NY136), Red Dawn (BNC201-1), and Pinto Gold (AF4659-12). Other fresh market releases Adirondack Blue, Adirondack Red, Red Maria, Lehigh, and Peter Wilcox continue to be adopted by fresh market growers. As evidenced above, the advanced clones and releases from the Eastern project continue to be commercially evaluated and adopted by farmers and our industry stakeholders. Recent Eastern releases were grown on 2,382 ME and NY seed acres during 2016 with a seed value of ca. $7.2M. The resulting seed crop has the potential to plant 23,823 acres in 2017 with a ware value estimated at $71.5M. Nationally, varieties produced by our long-term project were grown on 4,793 seed acres during 2016 with an approximate seed value of $14.4M Several varieties developed though our collective efforts are currently in the top 100 U.S. varieties including (acres, rank): Lamoka (2367, 10), Waneta (713, 29), Pike (359, 50), Lehigh (260, 57), Reba (170, 66), Caribou Russet (143,71), Keuka Gold (106, 79), Eva (95, 83), and Andover (74, 98). Our collaborative programs are ideally located to breed and select new potato varieties for the important but stressful southeast and east coast growing areas (FL, NC, VA, MD, NJ, DE, NY, and other states). These areas are characterized by short growing seasons, inconsistent rainfall leading to both deficits and flooding, early-season frosts, and late-season heat stress. Atlantic, which occupies ~50% of NC's acreage, generated ca. $10 million in NC farm-gate receipts is a major variety throughout this region. The chip industry has indicated that replacing Atlantic is a major goal for potato variety development in the U.S. Most major varieties, including Atlantic the dominant out-of-field chipping variety in the U.S., and Lamoka a current leader in storage chipping market, have passed through the eastern U.S. potato breeding collaborative. Our collaborative project is well designed and ideally situated to address future variety needs in the eastern half of the U.S. Disease and pest challenges cost the U.S. potato industry many millions of dollars annually in yield and quality losses, as well as increased control costs. Predominant diseases in the East include late blight, early blight, common scab, powdery scab, soft rot, pink rot, and potato virus Y. Developing improved varieties with resistance to these diseases is the most sustainable long-term approach to combating them. Resistant varieties result in decreased yield and quality losses, while in some cases they allow growers to reduce their use of chemical pesticides. Sometime resistant varieties are the only practical solution to a pest problem. For example, potatoes cannot be produced in some areas of New York unless golden nematode resistant varieties are grown. 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 took place at ME, NY, NC, and USDA Beltsville, MD. Progeny from the crosses are grown and initially field selected by the originating potato breeding programs. Field sites in ME, NY, 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 2015 were completed during 2017. 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 2016 were advanced for continued testing in 2017, while those which were judged to have significant weaknesses were dropped from testing. Seedstocks of the clones retained for 2017 testing were distributed to trial sites in ME, NY, PA, OH, MD, VA, NC, FL, as well as other US states and Canadian provinces. Six eastern clones (AF4648-2, AF5040-8, B2727-2, NC0349-2, NY152, NY157) were entered into the 2015 to 2017 Potatoes USA SNAC national chipping trials. Three (AF5040-8, NY152, and NY157) have demonstrated good commercial chipping potential and seed stocks are being increased to expand commercial evaluation. Seed multiplication of the most promising clones identified during the 2015 and 2016 growing seasons resulted in commercial-scale trials during 2016 and 2017. From the ME program, there were 12 advanced clones entered into commercial evaluations during 2016 and 2017. Caribou Russet (AF3362-1), a high yielding, fresh market and fry processing clone, was released during 2015. Caribou Russet was in commercial-scale fry processing trials during 2016 and 2017. Commercial fresh market trials and seed production increased dramatically during 2017 due its favorable yield and market quality. Sebec (AF0338-17), released in 2014 as a round-white that is widely adapted to eastern growing conditions and produces excellent chips from the field, continues to be commercially tested. AF4124-7 and AF4296-3 are processing russets with outstanding french fry quality that are being commercially evaluated across the U.S. AF5040-8 and AF5429-3 are promising chipping varieties with high specific gravity, good yields, good chip quality, and good internal tuber quality. AF4157-6 is early maturing and has excellent chip color. AF4648-2 has potential for chipping and fresh market use and has resistance to common scab, late blight, pink rot, and PVY. AF4831-2 is a red-skinned fresh market variety that entered commercial trials during 2017. AF4659-12, a specialty, fingerling-type yellow-fleshed clone, is being quickly adopted by small-scale growers and gardeners. AF4138-8 is being evaluated for the round-white fresh market. 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: 2017 Citation: De Jong, W.S., D.E. Halseth, R.L. Plaisted, X. Wang, K.L. Perry, K.M. Paddock, M. Falise, B.J. Christ, and G.A. Porter. 2017. Lamoka, a variety with excellent chip color out of cold storage and resistance to the golden cyst nematode. American Journal of Potato Research 94: 148-152.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Endelman, J.B., C.A. Schmitz Carley, D.S. Douches, J.J. Coombs, B. Bizimungu, W.S. De Jong, K.G. Haynes, D.G. Holm, J.C. Miller, R.G. Novy, J.P. Palta, D.L. Parish, G.A. Porter, V.R. Sathuvalli, A.L. Thompson, and G. C. Yencho. 2017. Pedigree reconstruction with genome-wide markers in potato. American Journal of Potato Research DOI 10.1007/s12230-016-9556-y.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wang, Y., L.B. Snodgrass, P.C. Bethke, A.J. Bussan, D.G. Holm, R.G. Novy, M.J. Pavek, G.A. Porter, C.J. Rosen, V.R. Sathuvalli, A.L. Thompson, M.T. Thornton and J.B. Endelman. 2017. Reliability of measurement and genotype x environment interaction for potato specific gravity. Crop Sci DOI: 10.2135cropsci2016.12.0976.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Porter, G.A., P. Ocaya, and T. Mills. 2017. Caribou Russet: A new russet potato variety for fresh market and fry processing. American Journal of Potato Research 94:239 (abst).
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Porter, G.A. and P. Ocaya. 2017. Processing quality of advanced fry processing varieties versus Russet Burbank in SCRI agronomic trials, Maine 2013-2015. American Journal of Potato Research 94:240 (abst).
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Porter, G.A., P. Ocaya, B. MacFarline, and B. Plummer. 2017. Potato variety trial results in Maine, 2016 growing season. SFA Research Report (posted on www and distributed to industry), 2017-01, 44 pp.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Porter, G.A., P. Ocaya, and T. Mills. 2017. Maine potato breeding program annual report, 2017 growing season. SFA Research Report (posted on www and distributed to industry), 22 pp.


Progress 09/01/15 to 08/31/16

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?Ph D graduate student Kristen Brown is learning research skills under this project with the goal of eventually becoming a lead scientist. She is planning research and learning new research skills. She will present her research at scientific meetings and will publish her research. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results from this project have been made available through field days, trade show booths, printed materials, and presentations (scientific meetings and stakeholder meetings). Results from the project are also made available through our project web site at http://potatoes.ncsu.edu/NE.html. 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, including commercial trials of the most advanced potato clones from the project. We will continue to work with constituents 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 2016. 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 (50% russets, 40% fresh and chipping whites, 10% specialty). ME emphasized research on late blight, potato virus Y (PVY), and scab resistance. Marker-assisted selection is now used to speed selection for PVY 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 202,100 true potato seeds representing 367 families. Seedling tubers (49,561) 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 1400 (2.8%) selected for continued evaluation in 2017. All third-year clones were sent to NC to screen for heat tolerance. All whites and reds from the 3rd-year material are also screened in FL to provide additional information on tolerance to diverse environments. 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. Seventy (of 231, 30.3%) third-year and 58 (of 95, 61.0%) advanced clones from the ME program had late blight resistance in 2016 tests. Of the advanced late blight resistant clones, AF4648-2 is closest to release and continued to be evaluated for chipping and fresh market use in 2016. Two advanced clones showed immunity to PVY during 2016, while additional clones had moderate field resistance. Sixty-two of 139 selections (44.6%)had scab resistance in our 2016 screening trial. USDA-ARS in NY provides golden nematode screening for the eastern programs and 18 of 65 ME clones (27.7%) showed resistance during 2016. Potato variety trials were conducted at three ME locations during 2016 [Presque Isle, 49 entries; St Agatha, 72 entries; and Exeter, 34 entries]. The numbers of promising clones identified by market category were: chipping (8), fresh market whites (8), russet and long-whites (22), reds and specialty (12). Fifty-one advanced clones (5th year and older) from the ME program were retained for 2017 testing. This group consists of 15 whites and chippers, 27 russets and longs, 9 reds and specialty clones. The most advanced clones continued commercial evaluations during 2016. Recent releases are Sebec (AF0338-17), Easton (AF3001-6), and Caribou Russet (AF3362-1). Sebec is a round-white that is widely adapted to eastern growing conditions and produces excellent chips from the field. Easton is a high yielding, verticillium wilt resistant, french fry processing clone. Caribou Russet is a high yielding russet that is expected to be useful for fresh market and fry processing. Other varieties in commercial trials include a fresh market white (AF4138-8), a dual-purpose white (AF4648-2), a chipper (AF4157-6), a processing russet (AF4296-3), and a specialty variety (AF4659-12). To facilitate theadoption process, ME coordinated commercial-scale trials representing 7 new potato varieties (2 chippers, 1 round-white, 3 russets, and 1 specialty types) during 2016. Additional commercial trials were conducted in the other participating states.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: De Jong, W.S., D.E. Halseth, R.L. Plaisted, X. Wang, K.L. Perry, K.M. Paddock, M. Falise, B.J. Christ, and G.A. Porter. 2016. Lamoka, a variety with excellent chip color out of cold storage and resistance to the golden cyst nematode. American Journal of Potato Research DOI 10.1007/s12230-016-9557-x.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Brown, K.M., P. Ocaya, T. Mills and G.A. Porter. 2016. Field screening of potato clones for late blight susceptibility. Amer. J. Potato Res. 93:124 (abst).
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Ocaya, P., K. Gause, and G.A. Porter. 2016. Nitrogen rate response of Russet Burbank and four new fry processing varieties. Amer. J. Potato Res. 138(abst).
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Porter, G.A., P. Ocaya, and T. Mills. 2016. Easton: a new potato variety for fry processing that has excellent fried-product color and resistance to hollow heart and Verticillium wilt. Amer. J. Potato Res. 93:139-140 (abst).
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Porter, G.A., P. Ocaya, and T. Mills. 2016. Sebec: a new, widely-adapted potato variety that is suitable for chipping directly from the field as well as fresh market use and has resistance to internal heat necrosis, hollow heart, and net necrosis. Amer. J. Potato Res. 93:139 (abst).
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Thompson, A.L., D. Douches, J.B. Endelman, P.C. Bethke, K. Haynes, D.G. Holm, W. DeJong, J.C. Miller, R.G. Novy, G.Porter, V.R. Sathuvalli, and G.C. Yencho. 2016. Successes in traditional potato breeding programs. Amer. J. Potato Res. 93:144 (abst).
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Porter, G.A., P. Ocaya, B. MacFarline, and B. Plummer. 2016. Potato variety trial results in Maine, 2016 growing season. SFA Research Report (posted on www and distributed to industry), 2016-01, 44 pp.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Porter, G.A., P. Ocaya, and T. Mills. 2016. Maine potato breeding program annual report, 2016 growing season. SFA Research Report (posted on www and distributed to industry), 22 pp.