Date of Report: April 15, 2004
Name and Address of Organization:
Cornell University, 245 Roberts Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853
Name and Title of the Contact
Person: Dr. Ronnie Coffman, Chairman Executive Committee,
Associate Dean for Research Director of Ag Expt. Station
Name and Title of Person Preparing
Report: Dr. K.V. Raman, Executive Director
Time period covered in report:
October 16, 2003 to April 15, 2004
Estimated Date
of Project Completion: December 30, 2004
________________________________________________________________
Progress October 16, 2003 to April
15, 2004
The major emphasis of the final phase of the Cornell-Eastern
Europe-Mexico International Collaborative Project in Potato
Late Blight Control (CEEM) is to identify new donors and partners
who would continue to support high priority projects in potato
late blight control.
CEEM made significant progress in: 1) project
accomplishments; 2) proposals/agreements for partnerships for
research and technology transfer; 3) conferences/field days;
4) publications, and 5) fund raising. Presented in this report
are CEEM project activities carried on from October 16, 2003
to April 15, 2004.
1. Project AccomplishmentsA: Cornell University:
At Cornell University the Potato Breeding Program mapped
late blight resistance in a cross between NY121 (blight resistant,
female parent) and NY115 (blight susceptible, male parent).
The ultimate goal is to develop a PCR marker linked to the
late blight resistance gene (s) present in NY121 so that this
source of resistance can be more efficiently manipulated.
Ninety-four individuals exhibiting a range of reactions to
late blight, from highly resistant to fully susceptible, were
evaluated with 1075 AFLP markers. Statistical testing for
possible associations between each of these markers and resistance
to blight will begin shortly.
The breeding program also grew 21,145 seedlings from the
cross between NY121 and NY115 in 2003 and retained 15,007
progeny after the harvest. These will be replanted as four
hill plots in 2004. This represents by far the largest number
of clones we have ever planted from a single cross. Based
on prior experience we anticipate that a large number of these
clones will chip well and form attractive tubers with clear,
bright skin.
The blight resistant clone NY128, a daughter
of NY121, is being considered for release as a new variety.
NY128 is a mid-season clone that produces round, uniform tubers
with a size that is ideal for chipping. In 17 local trials,
over the past five years, NY121 has yielded an average of 104%
of the industry standard variety Atlantic, while chip color
has been comparable to the storage variety Pike.
At the William E. Fry Laboratory analyses of soil samples
collected in Mexico in November 2001 are being conducted.
Three soils were from the north of Mexico City (from a production
field in Huiloapan, La Cabana, and from a forest just north
of Mexico City in Santa Catarina del Monte, Municipio de Texcoco).
Two other soils (labeled El Corral and Torquesa) were collected
from the Toluca valley near Metepec, Mexico. The texture characteristics
varied from fine sandy loam to sandy loam with soil pH varying
from 5.2 -6.5.
In previous experiments, soils, soil extracts,
and soil slurries were infested with sporangia of Phytophthora.
infestans, and germination and infectivity were measured over
time. Both sterile and non-sterile soils were used. Sporangia
survived longer in sterile than in non-sterile soil. The Fry
Lab is in the process of assessing the microbial community in
these soils through terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms
(T-RFLP) by amplification from bulk soil DNA, using bacterial
and fungal primers.
In another study, the influence of a major R-gene (R-12)
from Solanum berthaultii for resistance in tubers was analyzed.
The analyses were done in a backcross population to S. tuberosum
(BCT) using hybrid progeny obtained from a cross between S.
tuberosum and S. berthaultii. Previous studies using this
population identified a major R-gene for resistance to foliar
blight on chromosome X. Tuber resistance segregated whether
the assays were conducted in the field, greenhouse, or laboratory.
In the laboratory, two isolates of Phytophthora infestans
were used. One isolate was a member of the US-8 clonal lineage
(US940480), and produced an incompatible interaction when
R-12 was present. These results were entirely consistent with
results in the foliage. The other isolate was from Mexico
(MX990005), and was used under quarantine conditions. This
isolate was compatible with all of the BCT clones and revealed
a residual effect of the defeated R-12 gene (75 % tuber blight
with the R-gene absent vs. 54 % tuber blight with the R-gene
present). This result is consistent with a previous demonstration
of a residual effect of the R-gene in assays of foliar resistance.
B: Mexico
CEEM’s scientific cooperation with
the International Cooperative Program for Potato Late Blight
(PICTIPAPA) centers on the basic and applied research to enhance
potato late light resistance in new potato cultivars.
New potato clones were introduced for the first time for
field tests. The materials tested included more than 2,500
potato genotypes sent by five USDA-ARS research scientists.
Included in these field trials were wild potato species and
bio-engineered potato varieties with resistance to potato
late blight. Of the total tested, 15% demonstrated good resistance
to the disease.
Four masters candidates of the Universidad
Autonoma de Chapingo, Mexico completed their thesis research.
The thesis was entitled, Characterization of Phytophthora ipomoeae
Flier and Grunwald in the highlands of the State of Mexico by
Guadalupe Badillo; the second, Microbial antagonism against
Phytophthora infestans in Toluca, Mexico by Manuel Coyote Palma;
the third, Sporangia liberation dynamics of Phytophthora infestans
and its relation to meteorological variables in the Toluca Valley,
Mexico by Juan J. Ramirez Delgadillo; and the fourth, Characterization
of Phytophthora infestans from wild Solanum species in the Toluca
Valley by Daniel Perales Rosas. There are four more research
theses in progress on the genetic variability, formation, and
distribution of oospores. This work is leading to important
scientific discoveries for effective control of P.infestans.
C: Poland
The Plant Breeding Acclimatization Institute (IHAR) developed
an internet based system to monitor to collect data on the
epidemiology of potato late blight in Poland. This monitoring
network is based on the cooperation of country reporters and
seed inspectors who make observations and enter the date into
a PC-program interface called Pi-Monitoring. The data is then
statistically analyzed and presented on maps, figures and
tables on the internet which can be accessed at the website
address, www.web-blight.net. This web-blight program brings
day to day information on the first occurrences and the development
of potato blight. In addition to Poland, potato researchers
from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, and Lithuania
are participating in the web-blight forecasting program. The
potato growers in these countries have access to web-blight
data during the entire potato growing season to determine
appropriate late blight control measures.
Research on determining the stability of 22 late blight resistance
in Polish potato cultivars was evaluated at several selected
locations. Four cultivars: Jasia, Bzura, Klepa, and Hinga
expressed the most stable reaction to field infection by the
potato late blight pathogen, of these cultivars, Jasia, had
the highest stability for resistance.
Polish researchers are a major part of the EUCABLIGHT consortium
funded by the European Union. Support for future activities
will come from EUCABLIGHT, the Polish State Committee for
Scientific Research, and the Plant Breeding Acclimatization
Institute.
D: Russia
Researchers at the All-Russian Research Institute of Phytopathology
(VNIIF) conducted, rapid rural appraisal surveys in the Moscow
region (Kolomna and Odintsovo territory) to determine the
losses caused by potato late blight. In these regions, the
demand for potato is mainly met by local potato production;
import from other countries is insignificant. The producers
were in three categories: agricultural enterprises; collective
farms; state farms, and small private farms. The small private
farms produce 93 % of the total production; and therefore,
are in need of new and appropriate technologies to control
late blight.
Survey results indicate that potato late blight continues
to be the most harmful disease in three zones of Russia. The
first zone includes the European part of Russia and the Far
East regions with epidemic frequency of more than 75%. The
second zone, with 50-75% probability of late blight epidemic,
is the North, Central and the Southern regions of European
Russia, and some parts of the Far East region. The third zone,
where epidemic frequency is less than 50%, includes the Southeast
European Russia, and Serbia regions.
In other studies, researchers at (VNIIF), and the Moscow
Agricultural Academy, Department of Phytopathology, Moscow,
Russia, identified a second locus peptidase as a marker for
genetic investigations of P.infestans. This is quite a simple
marker that will be useful for comparative analysis of P.infestans
strains and populations.
Researchers at the Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry (VIR)
in St. Petersburg evaluated at Pushkin field site several
potato cultivars. Heavy rainfall at the end of August caused
severe blight both in foliage, and in tubers. Severe tuber
blight was noted in cultivars: Petersburgsky, Bobr and breeding
clone L 235-4. The most abundant yield was noted in a new
cultivar, Najada, registered at Leningrad province in 2002.
Outstanding stable resistance was proved in breeding clone
90-7-7 that was released in 1990, continues to maintain good
late blight resistance.
Back to Top
___________________________________________________________
2. Proposals/Agreements
2.1 CEEM and IHAR (Poland) are finalizing the arrangement
for a stronger collaboration with the EUCABLIGHT consortium
funded by the European Union. This will ensure sustainability
of work in Poland, and participating member countries.
2.2 CEEM and VNIIF (Russia) developed proposals for future
funding by the Civilian Development Research Foundation (CRDF)
and the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC).
A new proposal submitted to ISTC is pending approval. The
ISTC coordinates the efforts of numerous governments, international
organizations, and private sector industries, providing scientists
from Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States new
opportunities in international partnership.
2.3 CEEM and PICTIPAPA (Mexico) signed letters of agreement
with U.S. Department of Agriculture- Foreign Agriculture Service
(USDA-FAS) to partially support the project director salary
for a three-year period, and to implement the Teach Us program
in Toluca, Mexico this summer. Three students from the masters
of science program in Plant Protection and one student from
the bachelor of science program from the Agricultural University
of Chapingo were awarded degrees. Four new graduate students
are partially supported by PICTIPAPA.
2.4 CEEM and the newly funded USAID – Cornell led project,
Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II (ABSP II), are
in the final phase of developing a product commercialization
package focusing on potato late blight control for Asia and
Africa. This work plan will ensure linkages with PICTIPAPA
in Mexico to develop new bio-engineered potatoes with resistance
to late blight for use in developing nations.
2.5 CEEM and the Potato Late Blight Network for Europe (EUCABLIGHT),
developed collaborative agreements to enable Russian scientists
to participate in training activities. The EUCABLIGHT consortium
consists of a group of 24 European partners from 14 European
countries with varied expertise in both host and pathogen
research.
2.6 CEEM, ABSP II, and the USDA-ARS scientists
at Wisconsin University are in final negotiations for developing
a collaborative program that focuses on developing bioengineered
potato varieties for resistance to potato late blight.
Back to Top___________________________________________________________
3. Conferences/Field Days
3.1 CEEM in collaboration with IHAR (Poland) organized a
four-day workshop, 14-18 January 2004 on the integration of
late blight control in European potato production, breeding
achievements, and pathogen knowledge. A total of 56 participants
from 18 European countries were present. East Europe was well
represented with participants from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine,
Latvia, Estonia, Slovak Republic, and Romania. The proceedings
from the workshop were recently published.
3.2 In the Kolomna region of Russia a total
of four seminars were conducted for potato producers in 8 farms
named: Niva, Tishka, Kuodrjashi, Nikitenko, Trikum, Vera, Oksana,
and Nikoul skoje.
3.3 CEEM collaborators in Mexico participated
in the Fifth Ethnobiology conference held in Chapingo, Mexico
on November 12-15, 2003, and the 22nd Annual National Potato
Council Seed Seminar held in Long Beach, CA on December 8-12,
2004 to present work on potato species with resistance to late
blight.
Back to Top
___________________________________________________________
4.1 A total of 37 articles were published
as abstracts, scientific papers and posters in conferences.
The CEEM home page is continually updated to have news updates,
and important articles.
Back to Top ___________________________________________________________
5. Future Work
5.1. A high priority is to develop mechanisms for continuity
of CEEM beyond 2004. New donors are being identified to allow
the implementation of applied projects at the farm level with
opportunities for socio-economic impact assessment studies.
Back to Top
