ECPGR Homepage



Potato Working Group

Sugar, Starch and Fibre Crops Network


NEWSLETTER Articles

Report of a Working Group on Potato.
Second Meeting,
14 July 2002,
Hamburg, Germany
[PDF file 161KB]







The European Cultivated Potato Database

The European Wild Potato Database



Potato Working Group members

Potato Meetings & Reports


  Background information   Safety-duplications
  Central databases on potato   Regeneration
  Characterization and evaluation   Sharing of responsibilities

Background information

The ECPGR Potato Working Group was established in 1998, following a request submitted by the coordinator of the EU project RESGEN - CT95 - 34/45 on "Genetic resources of potato, including conservation, characterization and utilization of secondary potato varieties for ecological production systems in Europe".

The goals proposed for the Working Group consist in coordination and extension of potato genetic resources conservation activities initiated by the EU project:

    Further development of the central databases on potato varieties and on wild potatoes
    Improvement of health status of potato genetic resources
    Characterization/evaluation of potential genetic resources for quality traits and resistance against pests and diseases
    Rationalization of potato collections included in the Network
    Sharing of material and results

The Working Group met for the first time in Wageningen, The Netherlands in March 2000, jointly with the final meeting of the EU project. The second meeting was held in Hamburg, Germany, on 14 July 2002. The third meeting took place on 5 December 2006 in Edinburgh, UK.

Central databases on potato

According to the nature of the genetic resources (clones/populations), two groups of material can be distinguished: old potato varieties and previously developed breeding lines (maintained in clonal form); and wild and primitive species of potato (populations maintained in the form of botanical seeds). Therefore the previous EU project RESGEN - CT95 - 34/45 developed two databases, one for potato cultivars (Solanum tuberosum ssp. tuberosum), in which clones are being described, and a database for related Solanum species (wild and primitive species), in which populations are being described. Considering the essential role of the central databases in determining future activities, the Working Group gives highest priority to updating the databases and including data from the expanded range of countries represented in the Working Group. An update of the databases is planned to be conducted at least once a year.

The wild and primitive potato species database is downloadable in Access as well as Excel format since July 2001 from this Web site [here]. The Scottish Agricultural Science Agency (SASA) plans to make the EU database on potato cultivars including a Dictionary of Descriptors, accessible on-line.

Characterization and evaluation

New testing methods for diseases like silver scurf and black dot have been published by research institutes. Furthermore the pathogen (e.g. Phytophthora infestans) may have increased its aggressiveness and old evaluation results may not be valid for the latest pathotypes. Characterization and evaluation activities are carried out, based on initiatives of the germplasm holding institutes.

Safety-duplications

The central databases are being analyzed to identify duplicates between and within collections and identify unique material. Although a number of institutes keep their collections at 2 sites within a country, it would be preferable to maintain each clone in two different countries. For true seeds of wild and primitive species safety-duplication is easy e.g. using a "black box" arrangement, i.e. the seed sample is stored in long-term conditions according to international standards; it is not used, tested, regenerated or distributed to a third party.

Regeneration

Regeneration of the accessions (to comply with EU plant health regulations) and virus cleaning of infected varieties is an on-going activity. The central database is an important tool for the individual curators to set priorities.

Sharing of responsibilities

Accepting the responsibility for the maintenance of a certain potato clone means that the institute will maintain it until further notice. In the framework of the EU potato genetic resources project, an attempt was made to define criteria for designating two institutes to be primary holders of a variety. Main criteria are genetic diversity of the sample (Most Original Sample) and health status. With the start of the ECPGR Working Group, however, the number of collections has expanded considerably and the criteria may need to be redefined. All collection holders will make a list of which clones they would accept responsibility for and will send this list to SASA.
SASA will identify the clones where no one or only one institute offered to accept maintenance responsibility for. Important factors are country of origin and health status.



For more information or comments:
Please contact the Chair of the Working Group: Mr Roel Hoekstra [click here]