Cornell-Eastern
Europe-Mexico (CEEM)
International Collaborative Project
in
Potato
Late Blight Control
Progress
Report
July 2001
Date of Report:
July 1, 2001
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, 2000 to June 30, 2001
Estimated Date
of Project Completion: December 30, 2002
________________________________________________________________
1. Progress
July 1 -June 30, 2001 - Narrative
description of goals met; problems; changes made:
Potato late blight, caused by the fungus
Phytophthora infestans continues to be a major constraint
to global potato production. New and more aggressive strains
of the late blight pathogen continue to emerge, spread, and
destroy potato plants worldwide. It also leads to increase
use of fungicides to control late blight, which may be hazardous
to the environment. The Cornell-Eastern Europe-Mexico International
Collaborative Project in Potato Late Blight Control (CEEM)
and its collaborating partners seek new and safer ways to
contribute to stabilizing potato production by: breeding and
distributing potatoes with durable resistance to late blight
to developed and developing countries; b) conducting research
on the biology and epidemiology and life history of P.
infestans to evaluate and improve disease management,
and c) facilitating training for scientists, students, and
farmers on late blight control methods.
During the 12-month period from July
1, 2000 to June 30, 2001, significant accomplishments were
made in: 1) project accomplishments; 2) proposals/agreements
for partnerships for research and technology transfer; 3)
conferences/field days; 4) training; 5) publications, and
6) future work.
1. Project Accomplishments
Cornell University
1.1 Dr. Walter De Jong and Dr. Robert L. Plaisted,
and their research group made significant advances in identifying
and developing potato populations with durable resistance
to the late blight pathogen. Promising advanced selections
evaluated were: NY 102, NY112, NY 115, NY 118, NY120, NY 121,
NY 123, S 14-2 and S 28-2. Previously selected potato clones
for resistance to potato late blight (Elba, Striling, Burchfield,
NY 121, B 0692-4, B-0718-3, B01491-3 and E74-7) were compared
with cultivars: Atlantic, Kennebec, Rosa, Sebago, and Snowden.
Yield, percent internal defects, appearance score and specific
gravity were recorded. Snowden, NY121, B0692-4 had less than
5% internal defects. Samples of NY 121 were sent to Russia
for multiplication and field tests. The field performance
of advanced potato clones and trials were demonstrated to
farmers, industry representatives, and scientists at the Potato
Show and Tell organized by the potato program on November
2000.
1.2 Dr. William E. Fry
and his research group, in collaboration with Cornell University
plant breeders and plant molecular biologists, evaluated the
resistances to late blight of the most promising potato clones
and breeding lines. In addition to these materials, several
potato wild species and F2 hybrids, obtained from crossing
Solanum tuberosum, were field tested. The resistance
of NY121, previously selected for resistance to late blight,
was quantified. The level of resistance in NY 121 is greater
than the effect of half the recommended dosage of fungicide,
Mancozeb, applied weekly to a susceptible cultivar (such as
Russet Burbank). The research group predicts that the effect
of this resistance would be even greater if there was a large
acreage of NY 121 planted. Thus, it seems quite probable that
late blight will not be problematic on NY 121, even if no
fungicide is used. This cultivar seems to be an ideal choice
for home gardeners and organic farmers. Dr. Fry and his research
group also conducted a population genetic analysis of the
Russian isolates of P. infestans. This study was
done in collaboration with Russian colleagues at the Moscow
State University in Russia. The presence of the A2 mating
type was confirmed in the Russian isolates.
Eastern Europe
1.3 Drs. Ewa Zimnoch-Guzowska, H. Kakuczun and M.
Sieczka of the Potato Research Center, IHAR, Poland,
tested 14 potato cultivars of the Former Soviet Union for
foliar and tuber resistance. In the tuber and foliar tests,
the cultivar Nevsky expressed the highest level of resistance.
Research was initiated to map the genetic factors responsible
for tuber resistance in three diploid potato populations.
Resistant genotypes were selected for further mapping studies
to map the resistant genes.
1.4 Dr. Nadezhda Zoteyeva
of the N. I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Research (VIR), Russia,
planted 85 accessions of 43 potato species at the Potato Research
Center as part of her research project with the Potato Research
Center in Poland. These materials were obtained from VIR’s
potato collection. True potato seeds collected from these
accessions were sent to the U.S. Potato Germplasm Bank at
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, USA. Duplicate samples are also available
at the Potato Research Center and at VIR. From the resistance
studies of the wild potato species, new accessions were identified
for foliar and tuber resistance.
1.5 Dr. Stepan D. Kiru
of the N. I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Research (VIR), Russia
and his colleagues at VIR conducted research on enhancing
the potato genetic collections. They selected many new clones
for tuber quality, from several crosses made with Solanum
andigena. Selections were also made for golden nematode
resistance, and late blight resistance. The late Dr. Vavilov
originally collected the majority of the selected resistant
accessions in Mexico and Argentina. Duplicate samples of the
collections maintained at VIR and at the U.S. Potato Germplasm
Bank, Wisconsin were analyzed for genetic differences. There
were genetic differences indicating that duplicate accessions
from these genebanks may not be genetically identical.
Mexico
1.6 Dr. Héctor Lozoya-Saldaña
and colleagues in Toluca, Mexico tested 3,857 potato genotypes
obtained from Ireland, Mexico, Peru, Poland, and the U.S.A.
Nine clones were selected for resistance, and out of these,
two were identified as useful parents for developing high
yielding, late blight resistant potato varieties. In the Standard
International Field Trials, 7 potato varieties were selected
for resistance. The Mexican potato program is currently testing
some of these selections in farmers’ fields. Fungicide
trials indicate that product GFNEEXP-02DF was effective in
controlling late blight.
1.7 CEEM researchers,
Drs. Niklaus J. Grünwald and Sylvia Fernández-Pavia
conducted research on the ecology, epidemiology and population
genetics of P.infestans in Toluca, Mexico. A modified
version of the SimCast forecasting system was adapted to two
resistant Mexican potato varieties. The resistance levels were
confirmed in Mexican varieties, Rosita and Norteña. The
biological characteristics of P.infestans collected
from different regions in Mexico were analyzed. Results suggest
that populations of P.infestans on wild Solanum
populations are derived from populations of cultivated potatoes.
Soil bioassay was developed to detect oospores. Additional experiments
are in progress to determine the influence of soil microbial
activity, temperature, light, and soil water potential on oospore
development.
________________________________________________________________
2.1 CEEM, VIR, and the All-Russian
Phytopathology Research Institute (VNIIF) in Russia developed
the collaborative research proposal, "Developing and
deploying potato cultivars resistant to potato late blight
disease for Russia and countries of the FSU.” This project
focuses on testing the most promising late blight resistant
materials in the late blight prone areas of Moscow and St.
Petersburg for resistance to late blight, and includes farmer
participation. This proposal was submitted to the Civilian
Research Development Foundation (CRDF) for consideration of
a two-year grant of $80,000.
2.2 CEEM, VNIIF and the University
of California at Riverside developed the proposal, "Population
structure of Phytophthora infestans in the European
part of Russia and resistance to potato cultivars," and
submitted it to the International Science and Technology Center,
USA for a three-year project of $274,000. This project focuses
on monitoring shifts (both temporal and spatial changes) in
P.infestans populations using molecular and biological
tools. This project also investigates virulence factors of
P.infestans strains in potato cultivars with different
levels of resistance to gain an understanding of host plant
pathogen interactions.
2.3 CEEM and USDA-ARS,
Wisconsin developed a Specific Cooperative Agreement for the
short term visit of Dr. Stepan Kiru for potato germplasm research
between the U.S. and Russian potato genebanks in collaboration
with Dr. John Bamberg.
2.4 The Department of Plant Breeding
and the Regional Scholar Exchange Program at the U.S. Department
of State helped provide a three-month training fellowship
to Dr. Tatjana Gavrilenko of the N. I. Vavilov
Institute of Plant Research (VIR), Russia on all aspects of
potato biotechnology, breeding, and germplasm at Cornell University.
CEEM facilitated Dr. Gavrilenko’s participation in the
Potato Association of America annual meeting where she made
a presentation on biotechnology and potato improvement at
VIR.
2.5 CEEM facilitated proposal approval
between PICTIPAPA and USDA-ARS, WA for the project, “Genetic
Studies and Breedingof Stable Late Blight Resistance
of Potato in the U.S. and Mexico."
2.6 CEEM facilitated the development
of a two-year project between Cornell University and The Agriculture
and Food Development Authority (TEAGASC), Ireland. The project,
“Assessing the risk of resistance development to new
and established fungicides in a sexually and asexually reproducing
population of P.infestans the cause of potato late
blight," will be funded by the USDA/FAS in the amount
of $105,000. TEAGASC and the Ministry of Agriculture in Ireland
under the US/Ireland co-operative program for agricultural
science and technology will also support this project.
2.7 CEEM and a private firm finalized
an agreement to test proprietary potato germplasm in Toluca,
Mexico. The trials are from May to September
2001.
2.8 Dr. Patrick
Russo, formerly with the Department of Plant Pathology,
Cornell University now at the Biotechnology Institute, University
of Helsinki, Finland, facilitated the arrangements to supply
VIR with essential reagents for the testing of late blight.
________________________________________________________________
3. Conferences/Field Days
3.1 CEEM organized its four-year external
review and field day in collaboration with PICTIPAPA in Toluca,
Mexico, 27-29 August 2000. Collaborating scientists from Canada,
Ireland, Mexico, Poland, and the U.S.A., also participated
in the review. The external review committee developed a set
of recommendations useful for the formulation of the next
phase of CEEM project. The CEEM four-year external review
report was published in August 2000, and mailed to CEEM’s
collaborating institutions and donors.
3.2 CEEM researchers participated in
the annual meetings of the European Association of Potato
Research (EAPR), the Potato Association of America, and the
annual meetings of the American Phytopathological Society.
Participation in these meetings enables sharing of knowledge
and determining new ways to control late blight.
3.3 CEEM, USDA-FAS,
and IHAR are organizing the potato late blight workshop and
field day, “Collaborative Research on Potato Late Blight:
Building Strategies and Synergies,” 5-9 June 2001 in Warsaw,
Poland. A total of 68 participants representing 11 countries
are confirmed to participate. A synthesis and strategy paper
on late blight will be developed.
________________________________________________________________
4.1 Arin L. Kramer, College of Agriculture
and Life Sciences, Cornell University undergraduate student
completed a three month research internship in Toluca, Mexico
to study the genetic variability of P.mirabilis, a pathogen
closely linked to P.infestans. Kramer carried on
her research under the guidance of Dr. W. E. Fry and N. J.
Grünwald. Her study concluded that the central highlands
of Mexico might be the center of origin of P.mirabilis.
4.2 Dr. Nadezhda Zoteyeva,
of VIR was granted a visiting assistantship to the Potato Research
Center in IHAR, Poland to save valuable germplasm and to identify
resistance to late blight in the wild potato species. Potato
breeders at IHAR guided her work.
4.3 Dr. Patrick Russo,
assisted VIR scientists with project development, internet connection,
publications, by facilitating materials for.
________________________________________________________________
5.1 CEEM collaborators continue to
publish their research in scientific journals and books. Scientists
at Cornell University published 20 articles. Collaborating
scientists in Eastern Europe published 6 articles, and scientists
in Mexico published 10 articles. The listing of these 36 publications
is provided in Selected Publications.
The findings in these publications continue to assist many
potato programs worldwide to develop integrated approaches
to control late blight.
5.2 The CEEM home page continues to
be updated frequently. The site continues to be a major source
of information and has received over 1,450
hits.
5.3 CEEM continues to get media coverage.
Late blight research and specific project work was covered
by Nature, Cornell News Service, and other newspapers and
magazines.
________________________________________________________________
6. 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.
6.3 Based on the External
Review findings, the priorities for the second phase of the
CEEM project have been developed for consideration by donors.
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