AgronomyInsectsDiploid Potato Variety Resistant to Colorado Potato Beetles Developed

Diploid Potato Variety Resistant to Colorado Potato Beetles Developed

-

A group of researchers have developed a diploid potato variety which is resistant to Colorado potato beetles, a recently published study in Crop Science says.

Natalie Kaiser, lead author of the study and a researcher at Michigan State University, developed the beetle-resistant potato variety. Her team used diploid breeding in order to shorten the time needed for field trial testing.

A news release on the study says they were able to compare the chemical profile of hundreds of individual potatoes with their resistance to the Colorado potato beetle in the field.

“We found chemical signatures that could predict resistance to Colorado potato beetles,” Kaiser says in the release. “Breeders can select resistant potatoes with a simple chemical measurement instead of having to conduct field trials.”

Kaiser and her team developed diploid potatoes that are self-compatible. Through this process Kaiser and her team discovered multiple genes and the environment determine whether some potatoes can produce self-fruit and seed, the release says.

The new potato varieties and genetic tools will allow researchers to “examine the genetic foundations of self-fertility, and insect and disease resistance,” says Kaiser. “This way, we can create new potato varieties that were previously infeasible.”

Related Articles

Colorado Potato Beetles are a Mile-High Headache

Stacked Potato Plants Show CPB Resistance

Survival of the Fittest

Trending This Week

The Secret to Choosing Winning Potato Varieties (Hint: It’s Not Guesswork)

0
With over 4000 registered potato varieties in North America, matching your operation’s needs with your end-use requirements with the right potato can be overwhelming....

Pigs Gone Wild

The Canadian prairies are being overrun with feral pigs — and that’s not great news for potato growers. Dr. Ryan Brook has been researching wild...

Turning Potatoes into Protein: The Better Meat Co. Breaks New Ground

0
The Better Meat Co. (BMC) is making waves in the sustainable food landscape with its newly awarded U.S. patent for an inventive method of...

The Second Green Revolution — Keeping Fields Green

In the Green Revolution, which began largely in the 1960’s, a myriad of scientific advancements in agricultural technology ushered in a new age in...

Warning: Potatoes’ Silent Profit Killer Hitting Hard

From aphids to moisture stress, verticillium, and countless other threats, potato growers constantly battle yield robbers that keep them up at night. Yet, strangely, there’s...