Resistance characterization of potato fusarium dry

Potato fusarium dry rot (FDR) is one of the most important
storage diseases in potatoes. Annual losses to FDR were
estimated at 6–25%, and occasionally up to 60%. Multiple
Fusarium spp. can cause FDR with different aggressiveness.
Fungicide application is commonly used to control
Fusarium diseases, however fungicide resistance has been
developed in some Fusarium spp. Use of host resistance is
the most effective and environmentally sound approach to
manage diseases. However, resistance to FDR in potatoes is
not well understood. In the present study, six advanced
potato breeding lines and standard variety Jemseg or
Russet Burbank were inoculated with three Fusarium spp.
(F. sambucinum, F. oxysporum and F. coeruleum) to screen
lines with resistance to the FDR, using two inoculated methods.
The inoculated tubers were incubated at 13ºC and 95%
humidity in the first 48 h after inoculation, and then were
kept at 13ºC and 65% humidity for 6 weeks at dark before
disease assessment. Two lines, F14034 and F14028 were
resistant or highly tolerant to the infection of F. sambucinum,
the most aggressive species, compared with the susceptible
variety Jemseg. The F. sambucinumwas used to investigate
the gene differential expression using transcriptome profiling
approach to identify host and pathogen genes involved in
initial infection responses. The Fusarium-infected tuber
samples from the six lines and Jemseg were taken at 0, 4,
10, 24 and 48 h after inoculation with a 7 mm diameter
punch. The RNA samples were extracted from the tuber
samples for transcriptome profiling.