Progress 09/01/23 to 08/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:Farmers, processors, quick service restaurant industry, industry stakeholders (agricultural chemical and fertilizer companies, food processors, equipment manufacturers, etc.). Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The NWPVD program provides continuing opportunities for training personnel in the science of breeding and genetics, variety development, agronomic management, and postharvest handling, storage and processing quality evaluation of a diverse array of germplasm. On average, the multi-state project engages three to four graduate students, three postdoctoral associates, five technical, and numerous undergraduate students in the project annually. Extension personnel and industry stakeholders also participate in efforts to grow and evaluate the clonal entries on an annual basis. Many of the graduate students who have worked in this program are employed in professional and management positions in the potato industry. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Dissemination of detailed research results from the NWPVD Program occurs annually at meetings of the Tri-State and Western Regional Technical Committees (which includes university, industry/stakeholder, and USDA-ARS members), and in written form through publication of the USDA-ARS Western Regional Trial Report and the WSU Potato Cultivar Yield and Postharvest Quality Evaluations Report. Both of these publications are freely available in written and electronic formats: https://www.ars.usda.gov/pacific-west-area/aberdeen-id/small-grains-and-potato-germplasm-research/docs/western-regional-tri-state-potato-variety-trial-reports/ and https://potatoes.wsu.edu/trials/. Additionally, results from the Northwest program are communicated directly to stakeholders annually through oral presentations and related proceedings articles at the Washington/Oregon Potato Conference (Kennewick, WA), Western Washington Potato Conference (Mt Vernon, WA), Idaho Potato Conference (Pocatello, ID), and Hermiston Farm Fair & Trade Show (Hermiston, OR). Potato field days showcasing variety trials and related management research are held annually at the WSU Research Unit at Othello, WA, WSU Northwest Washington Research & Extension Center at Mt Vernon, WA, and Hermiston Agricultural Research & Extension Center (Hermiston, OR). Varieties released from the program are managed by the Potato Variety Management Institute, which summarizes phenotypic data and articulates strengths and weaknesses of released varieties along with cultural and storage management information on the PVMI website (https://www.pvmi.org/). Further agronomic and postharvest management information is made available to researchers and stakeholders on the University of Idaho potatoes websites (https://www.uidaho.edu/cals/potatoes/varieties & http://www.uidaho.edu/cals/potatoes/storage) and Oregon Statewide reports are available at (https://extension.oregonstate.edu/people/sagar-sathuvalli). Collectively, these efforts expedite the earliest possible adoption of new releases, which is a strength of the Northwest Program. The PI's also communicate research results nationally and internationally through oral and poster presentations at annual meetings of professional societies (e.g., Potato Association of America, American Phytopathological Society) and via publication of refereed journal articles. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In conjunction with USDA/ARS researchers, the latest molecular and breeding techniques will be used to enhance germplasm for quality, nutritional value, and stress and pest resistance. Germplasm with commercial potential will be selected from resulting populations. A series of state, tri-state, and regional trials will be used to evaluate the potential of breeding clones. The best clones will be released for public use. Management studies will be conducted to provide production information on all new varieties. High quality seed will be produced and disseminated for industry evaluation purposes. All procedures will be subject to review by a Tri-state industry committee. The ultimate success of new varieties (outputs) from the program will be evaluated based on the extent of their adoption and utilization by industry. The procedures outlined in this proposal are those projected for use in the foreseeable future. Each year, new germplasm will be developed in cooperation with USDA/ARS researchers and a new cycle of selection initiated. Variety releases will be made periodically when superior selections are identified and accepted by the potato industry. Research of scientific interest in support of the variety development effort will be instituted as necessary. The annual timetable below for research activities in 2024, pending acquisition of 2nd year funding. Summer 2024: Maintain plots and apply appropriate treatments and management inputs. Complete field notes (emergence, vigor, vine size, vine maturity, disease ratings, etc.) for all variety trials. Accumulate all morphological descriptor information for advanced selections. Continue production of greenhouse tuberlings. Complete field disease screening. Increase breeder and limited-generation seed in the field and greenhouse as needed. Begin harvests, collect yield, grade and quality data, initiate storage trials and begin postharvest evaluations. Fall 2024: Harvest late trial plots. Grade and evaluate tubers for cooking quality, storability, bruise response, postharvest disease reaction, and initiate processing tests. Assist commercial producers and seed growers with sampling, providing appropriate measurements and evaluations, and interpretation of data from large-scale evaluation plots. Participate in team selection efforts at early generation production sites. Complete virus testing and indexing. Harvest and store pre-nuclear tubers. Select parental clones for crossing. Begin studies on the biochemistry of quality factors, improvement of seed increase methods, genetics of important traits, and nutritive value. Winter/Spring 2025: Initiate program evaluation and planning. Complete cooking tests, summarize data, and prepare presentations for grower groups. Complete data summarization for 2021 and 2022 trials and complete publication of the Northwest Potato Variety Trials report. Continue postharvest process quality evaluations. Organize and plant all 2023 variety and management trials, make decisions concerning seed increases and order plantlets. Identify, order, receive and cut seed tubers, plant and establish plots, initiate data collection. Analyze the effects of long-term storage on sugar content and fry color. Begin crossing, vegetative propagation, plantlet and seedling establishment, and greenhouse planting. Summer 2025: Similar to 2024, above Fall 2025: Similar to 2024 above

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Impact: Fifty-five varieties have been released by the Northwest Potato Variety Development Program (NWPVD) program across the past 40 years. Many NWPVD varieties have been widely adopted; among these varieties, Clearwater Russet (R.), Ranger R., Umatilla R., Alturas, Teton R., and Mountain Gem R. have greatly benefited the United States and Northwest potato industry and as such, were the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 11th, 20th, 33rd, and 44th most widely grown varieties in the United States in 2023 (rankings out of 710 cultivars). They were also the 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th, 13th, and 29th most widely grown 2023 varieties in the Pacific Northwest (ID, OR, and WA), accounting for over 30% of the PNW planted acreage. Varieties released by the NWPVD Program are now produced on approximately 160,000 acres in the Pacific Northwest with value to growers estimated at approximately $800 million. NWPVD varieties represented approximately 24%, or 232,000 acres, of the 2023 fall crop nationally. The estimated 2023 US farm-gate value of NWPVD varieties was more than $1.21 billion (values extrapolated from 2022 certified seed acres (https://potatoassociation.org/seed-acres-reports/) and NASS 2023). Accomplishments: Between 2015 and 2024, 17 potato varieties were released by the NWPVD, including: Pomerelle Russet, Mountain Gem Russet, Payette Russet, Targhee Russet, TerraRossa, Smilin' Eyes, Echo Russet, Castle Russet, Purple Iris, Deliciae, La Belle Russet, Galena Russet, Becca Rose, Rainier Russet, Vermillion, Jester, and Cheshire. All varieties developed by the Northwest Program have been licensed to the Potato Variety Management Institute (PVMI), a non-profit organization working on behalf of the program to promote and market varieties since 2005. Detailed information, including management guidelines for NWPVD cultivars are available on the PVMI websites: (www.pvmi.org). Development of cold-sweetening resistant varietiesand their widespread adoption by industry. e.g., Clearwater Russet (2008 release) can be stored at 44-45F full season and was accepted by McDonald's in 2016. From 2011 to 2020, certified seed acres increased 83 fold, from 36 to 3,010. Commercial acreage in 2020 was ~39,300 in the PNW and ~45,120 in the U.S and is increasing rapidly. Newly released potato varieties Payette Russet and Castle Russet also are examples of cold-sweetening resistant varieties from the NWPVDP. Varieties that have (and can maintain) lower asparagine (20-30%) and reducing sugar levels, resulting in 50% or greater reduction in acrylamide formation relative to the mainstay varieties. Adoption and commercialization of these low acrylamide- forming varieties by industry. e.g., Payette Russet (2015 release) and Castle Russet (2018 release) produces up to 80% and 50% less acrylamide, respectively, in processed French fries than Russet Burbank and Ranger Russet. New varieties with multiple resistances to viral, bacterial, and fungal diseases in combination with resistance to abiotic stressors (cold, heat) that reduce storability and process quality. Such varieties would require less pesticides thereby contributing to more sustainable production systems. Recent examples include: Clearwater Russet - resistant to PVX and tuber Late Blight; moderately resistant to Verticillium wilt, common scab and PVYO; cold-sweetening resistant. Payette Russet - immune to all strains of PVY, resistant to foliar & tuber Late Blight and common scab; moderately resistant to Verticillium wilt, early blight and corky ringspot; cold-sweetening resistant; heat tolerant for retention of cold sweetening resistant phenotype; long dormancy. Castle Russet - immune to all strains of PVY, resistant to corky ringspot and potato mop top virus (PMTV), and moderately resistant to Verticillium wilt, early blight, common scab, and tuber net necrosis. New knowledge of potato genetics, inheritance of complex traits, and how genotype ultimately relates to phenotype. A better understanding of the inheritance of economically beneficial traits is critical to their rapid incorporation into a commercially acceptable variety. PCR-based makers for PVY (Ryadg, Rysto, Rychc), potato cyst nematode (8 markers) and CRKN resistance (RMc1(blb)) are currently being used to identify susceptible segregating seedlings to speed up the advancement of resistant clones at earlier stages of the breeding program, thereby expediting the development of virus and nematode resistant potato varieties. Early generation (FY2) material is being genotyped to develop training populations for future genomic selection for Russet potatoes. Potato species related to cultivated potato will continue to provide genes of economic importance for addressing current, emerging, and future, issues of importance to the U.S. potato industry. Increased water and nutrient use efficiency - reducing water consumption fertilizer applications per unit of yield produced provides a considerable economic benefit to growers and also contributes significantly to the sustainability of potato production systems. Enhanced nutritional qualities - developing new varieties with higher concentrations of protein, vitamin C and other phytonutrients (Fe, Zn, K, P, vitamin B9, antioxidants) will provide consumers with a more nutritional food source.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Anglin, N.L., Yellarreddygari, S.K.R., Gudmestad, N.C. et al. 2024. A Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) Identifies SNPs Associated with Resistance to Tobacco Rattle Virus (TRV) and Potato Mop-Top Virus (PMTV) in a Tetraploid Mapping Population of Potato. Am. J. Potato Res. 101, 116 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12230-023-09933-3
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Blauer, J.M., V. Sathuvalli, B.A. Charlton, S. Yilma, C.C. Shock, N. Baley, R. Qin, E. Feibert, R.G. Novy, J.L. Whitworth, M.J. Pavek, N.R. Knowles, L.O. Knowles, N. Fuller, J.C. Stark, R. R. Spear, M.K. Thornton, N. Olsen, S. Jayanty, D.A. Navarre, M.J. Feldman & I. Vales. 2024. Rainier Russet: A Dual Use Russet Potato with Long Tuber Dormancy, Excellent Process Quality, and High Early Harvest Packaging Efficiency (2024) Am. J. Potato Res. 101, 1733. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12230-023-09935-1
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Elison, G.L., Park, J., Novy, R.G. et al. 2024. A Potential New Source of Extreme Resistance to Potato Virus Y in the Potato Variety Bistra. Am. J. Potato Res. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12230-024-09954-6
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Feldman, M.J., et al. 2024. A scalable, low-cost phenotyping strategy to assess tuber size, shape, and the colorimetric features of tuber skin and flesh in potato breeding populations. The Plant Phenome J. 2024;7:e20099. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppj2.20099
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Gonzalez T., F., M.J. Pavek, Z.J. Holden, R. Garza. 2023. Evaluating potato evapotranspiration and crop coefficients in the Columbia Basin of Washington state. Agricultural Water Management, (2023) V. 286, ISSN 0378-3774, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2023.108371
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Gonzalez T., F., Pavek, M.J., Knowles, N.R. and Holden, Z.J. 2024. Late-Season Irrigation Influences French Fry Color. Am. J. Potato Res. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12230-024-09949-3
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Gonzalez T., F., Pavek, M.J., Knowles, N.R. and Holden, Z.J. 2024. Reduced Late-Season Irrigation Improves Potato Quality, Often at the Expense of Yield and Economic Return. Am. J. Potato Res. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12230-024-09948-4
• Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Moore, A. 2024. Potato powdery scab: Expanding genomic resources for the pathogen (Spongospora subterranean) and the host (Solanum tuberosum). M.S. Thesis. Oregon State University.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Park J, Sathuvalli V, Yilma S, Whitworth J and Novy RG. 2023. Identification of QTL associated with plant vine characteristics and infection response to late blight, early blight, and Verticillium wilt in a tetraploid potato population derived from late blight-resistant Palisade Russet. Front. Plant Sci. 14:1222596.doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1222596
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Park J, Whitworth J and Novy RG. 2024. QTL identified that influence tuber lengthwidth ratio, degree of flatness, tuber size, and specific gravity in a russet-skinned, tetraploid mapping population. Front. Plant Sci. 15:1343632. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1343632