Potatoes: From seed to seed – can we change the approach?

Abstract

The path for potato germplasm development is littered with pitfalls. Many breeding lines with good yield potential or disease resistance end up with poor quality and/or marketability. Similarly, some popular cultivars are not environmentally friendly in terms of nutrients and water use efficiency. Self-incompatibility is usually observed in potatoes, especially in popular cultivars such as Russet Burbank, hindering the purge of unwanted mutations. Consequently, the ultimate resort is outcrossing to enlarge the genetic background. The From seed to seed presentation will share and discuss ideas and approaches towards creating self-compatible potato germplasm while contributing to correcting some undesirable traits in elite cultivars such as Russet Burbank.