Date of Report: July 1, 2000
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:
July 1, 1999 to June 30, 2000
Estimated Date
of Project Completion: December 30, 2002
________________________________________________________________
1. Progress July 1 -June 30, 2000
- Narrative description of goals met; problems; changes
made:
The main focus of the Cornell-Eastern
Europe-Mexico (CEEM) International Collaborative Project in
Potato Late Blight Control is to reduce late blight
through participation in selected activities. Cornell contributes
a large number of scientists with expertise in potatoes, our
Mexican partner provides an ideal site for late blight research
in Toluca, Mexico, and our Eastern Europe partner is a logical
participant in this three way partnership because in that
area: late blight is a major constraint, there is a strong
breeding effort, and important potato germplasm is located
there. Research, education, collaboration and communication
characterize CEEM.
CEEM encourages and promotes partnerships
to enhance research and technology transfer for late blight
control. Collaboration of this type allows comparative advantages
to merge into a single effort, thus avoiding redundancy. Redundancy
is costly, so collaboration allows more efficient use of increasingly
scarce funds. In addition, collaboration facilitates obtaining
the proper agreements needed for research in given sites,
and provides access to facilities and establishment of appropriate
infrastructure.
CEEM promotes the creation of an educated
group of scientists with common goals and knowledge. It provides
funding for students, visiting scientists, and a research
network within which they can do research. CEEM also sponsors
international workshops, field days, and other opportunities
for information exchange.
During the 12-month
period from July 1, 1999 to June 30, 2000, significant accomplishments
were made in: 1) project implementation; 2) agreements
for partnerships for research and technology transfer; 3)conferences/field
days; 4) training; 5)publications; and 6) future work.
________________________________________________________________
1. Project
Implementation
1.1 At Cornell, Prof. Robert L. Plaisted's
group made significant advances in the area of breeding for
resistance. Winter greenhouse tests were developed for
late bight resistance and it is likely that these tests
will become a regular procedure for early generation screening
process. In the field, 1603 four hill plots of potato clones
from several crosses were evaluated and 91 were saved on the
basis of other traits. The selections to be made this year
will be retested for late blight resistance. One
of the most advanced selections in this program with resistance
to late blight, golden nematodes, scab and potato
virus Y (PVY) is the recently released NY121. This new potato
is the best clone available that is resistant to both races
of golden nematode. Its additional resistance to late
blight, scab and PVY is a rare combination. NY 121 is
being included in several multi location yield trials. New
generations of resistant clones were also produced using parents
such as: NY 121, Stirling (UK, BO692 and B0718-3 (USDA), and
MSG264-3Y (MI). Promising selections of Polish crosses V154
were also made.
1.2 Prof. William E. Fry and his research
group, in collaboration with Cornell plant breeders and plant
molecular biologists and scientists from around the world,
have analyzed the resistance of many different breeding lines
and transgenic potato clones. His group confirmed that the
potato clone NY121 was clearly much more resistant than any
commercially available clone in the U.S.A., or Canada. Several
wild species highly resistant to US-8 clonal lineage of late
blight strain were identified. The search for resistance
in these materials still continues. In the mapping studies,
quantitative trait loci (QTL's) has been identified. Other
activities in the Fry Lab included: 1) basic epidemiological
studies on late blight pathogen and disease development;
2) distribution of information and isolates of P.infestans
to colleagues around the world; and 3) investigations on the
basic biology of P.infestans. Research conducted
in these areas help national programs to develop integrated
late blight management programs.
1.3 Prof. Elmer Ewing's
group mapped both qualitative and quantitative resistance to
late blight.
This data is essential for developing
potato cultivars with durable resistance to late blight.
The results of this work were published in Molecular Breeding.
Prof. Ewing also wrote two articles concerning late blight
control work in Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia). These
articles were published in Diversity magazine have
generated considerable interest among the global community
about the importance of potato germplasm and late blight control.
1.4 Dr. Niklaus Grunwald, CEEM Research
Associate based in Toluca, Mexico in collaboration with the
National Institute of Agroforestry and Agricultural Research
(INIFAP), the Agroforestry, Agriculture Aquiculture Research
and Training Institute of Mexico (ICAMEX), and the International
Potato Late Blight Project (PICTIPAPA) has been instrumental
in promoting the Toluca International Late Blight Project
(TILB). This project enables scientists to study the biology
and epidemiology of late blight in the geographic area where
wild potato species and the pathogen followed parallel paths
of evolution. One of the results of these studies---a fungicide
forecasting system for the highland tropics (Sim Cast) developed
for use in the Toluca Valley-- also shows promise for use
in other regions of the highland tropics. The laboratory facilities
developed by this group are considered to be one of the best
in Latin America. Apart from promoting research, this lab
serves as a training center for national and international
scientists. Research results obtained at this site were published
in international scientific journals.
1.5 Dr. Sylvia Fernandez-Pavia joined
the CEEM team in Toluca, Mexico in August 1999 as a post doctoral
associate. Her research focuses on the biology of the sexual
stage of the late blight pathogen, and on the nature
of late blight resistance of Mexican potatoes.
1.6 CEEM and PICTIPAPA continue to
work in a partnership mode to facilitate the testing of potato
germplasm from international collaborators at the Toluca site.
This site is unique as it provides a natural environment for
the two mating types of the fungus; all known pathogenic races
are present every year, and the climate is ideal for disease
development. Potato clones selected in this program have been
multiplied by the Mexican national programs and made available
to the Mexican potato growers association for further tests.
1.7 In Poland, Dr. Ewa Zimnoch-Guzowska
and co-workers continue to collaborate with Russian scientists
from the N.I.Vavilov Institute of Plant Research (VIR) in
several areas of research and training on late blight.
During research they regenerated several potato accessions,
from the VIR potato collection, for use by the global community.
Using screening methods they were able to identify two accessions,
from two wild potato species, as highly resistant to late
blight. The group also began research on genetic and
genome mapping of tuber blight resistance using diploid potatoes.
A review article on breeding potato cultivars with tubers
resistant to P.infestans was submitted for publication.
1.8 Dr. Nadezhda Zoteyeva,
curator of the wild potato species collection,VIR, Russia made
significant progress in regenerating several VIR potato accessions
and in evaluating them for resistance to late blight.
During the vegetation period she self-pollinated several plants,
with bulk pollen, and was able to collect berries from 39 accessions,
and true seeds from 38 accessions. The true seeds available
will yield at least 28 promising accessions for international
exchange.
________________________________________________________________
2.1 CEEM and the International Maize
and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) located in Texcoco,
Mexico finalized a partnership agreement for hosting Dr. Sylvia
Fernandez-Pavia as an adjunct CIMMYT scientist to work in
Toluca, Mexico. This agreement also enable Dr. Fernandez-Pavia
to use CIMMYT's excellent library resources.
2.2 CEEM and a major private firm finalized
agreements for testing of proprietary products in Toluca,
Mexico in May-June 2000.
2.3 The partnership agreement with
Poland's Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute (IHAR)
was renewed. As CEEM's main Eastern European collaborator,
IHAR provides important new breeding lines to project partners.
2.4 The publications agreement with
the organizers of the Global Potato Conference in Shimla,
India to provide manuscripts on presentations made by CEEM
supported participants was met. The proceedings of this conference
will be published by early 2001.
2.5 The agreement to supply VIR with
essential reagents, literature, and books was completed. Dr.
Patrick Russo hand delivered these materials during his recent
visit to VIR.
2.6 The internship agreement between
CEEM and Arin Kramer, Cornell undergraduate, was finalized.
Arin Kramer began her internship in Toluca, Mexico in early
June 2000, under the guidance of Dr. Niklaus Grunwald and
Prof. William E. Fry.
2.7 The agreement with the United States
Department of Agriculture-Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA-FAS)
for evaluation of selected potato clones for three years (1999-2001),
at the Toluca site, in collaboration with PICTIPAPA and CEEM,
was approved for funding.
2.8 The Department of Plant Breeding
hired Dr. Walter DeJong, Assistant Professor, as the new potato
breeder. Dr. DeJong will complement and strengthen existing
and future work on late blight.
____________________________________________________________
3. Conferences/Field
Days
3.1 CEEM co-sponsored a scientific
session on late blight at the Global Conference on
Potato in New Delhi, India. Several important topics of interest
to the global community were discussed. Following the conference,
the participants visited field trials at Modipuram, India.
3.2 CEEM researchers participated in
the annual meetings of the Potato Association of America and
the annual meetings of the American Phytopathological Society.
Participation in these meetings enables CEEM researchers to
exchange knowledge and find new ways to control late blight.
3.3 PICTIPAPA and CEEM are organizing
a potato evaluation field day, and an External Review of CEEM
project to be held in Toluca, Mexico, 27-29 August 2000. Several
representatives from the Mexican national programs, Eastern
Europe, and North America are expected to participate.
3.4 CEEM hosted visitors from Russia,
Poland, Mexico, and the United States of America. This provided
an opportunity to discuss progress made in the late blight
area, and develop new projects for funding.
3.5 CEEM's collaborating
scientists at the Mlochów Research Center in Poland have
finalized plans to host the European Potato Association meetings
at Mlochów, Poland in July 2000. Participants from Russia
and other countries in Europe confirmed their participation.
________________________________________________________________
4.1. This year two interns: Meaghan
Donavan and Elaine McElhinny completed their summer training
in Toluca, Mexico under the guidance of Dr. Niklaus Grünwald
and Prof. William E. Fry. Both interns submitted a project
report.
4.2 Dr. Nadezda Zoteyeva, of VIR, was
awarded a CEEM research and training grant to continue her
work in the area of regenerating potato germplasm and identifying
new sources of resistance. Her research and training will
take place at IHAR in Poland. Her work will be supervised
by Polish scientists at IHAR.
4.3 Dr. Patrick Russo,
a former plant pathologist at Cornell University continues to
collaborate with CEEM. Dr. Russo conducted a one week training
program at VIR, St. Petersburg, Russia to all the interested
potato team members on how to clean important disease infected
potato materials. Disease free materials are used for international
germplasm exchange and for breeding for late blight
resistance.
________________________________________________________________
5.1 CEEM articipants continue to publish
scientific articles in all areas of potato late blight
management. This information is useful to potato programs
world-wide.
5.2 CEEM is making arrangements to
support internet access and potato journal subscriptions to
VIR.
5.3 The CEEM world wide web page has
a new look. The information is updated frequently and continues
to receive many visitors. Linked web pages include: the Toluca
International Collaborative Late Blight project web, the Fry
Lab web, and other potato late blight web sites.
Visit the CEEM web at http://www.cals.cornell.edu/dept/plantbreed/CEEM/.
5.4 The Cornell News
Service continues to provide press coverage on CEEM late
blight research.
________________________________________________________________
Future Work
-Narrative description of goals to be met, anticipated
results and impact:
6.1 Please refer to the 11 points listed
in the January 1997 Grant Report for anticipated results and
impact (these have not changed).
6.2 Specific work plans,
training activities, and other research will continue within
all projects in the United States of America, Mexico, Poland,
and Russia. CEEM will continue to identify additional sources
of funding to promote research and technology transfer to reduce
the problem of late blight.
