Breeding Strategies for Climate Resilient Traits in Potato (Solanum Tuberosum L.)

Abstract

Climate change factored rise in temperatures coupled with the climatic variation like temperature, rainfall pattern and humidity are going to be major limiting factors in sustainable vegetable production. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an important global food source, after wheat, rice and maize. CPRI has projected that against the current production of 45.1 mt India will have to produce 56.15 and 124.88 million tonnes of potato during the years 2025 and 2050, respectively to meet the future demands. At the same time the crop is sensitive to heat, drought and moderately sensitive to cold and salinity stress which results in reduction of size and number of tubers. However, large germplasm and wide range of species and genetic diversity in potato provide opportunity to develop climate resilient genotypes to minimize the impact of climate change. Different breeding strategies for potato which could help in climate resilient breeding program includes 1) Screening of wild relative for resistant sources; 2) Utilization of the resistant species in hybridization and somatic hybridization; 3) Identification and mapping of stress tolerant QTLs; 4) Marker assisted selection of tolerant gene; and 5) Transfer of stress tolerant genes from other unrelated crop through transgenic approach. There is various report of successful transfer of genes in potato such as development of heat tolerant variety (Kufri Surya) through hybridization (Anonymous, 2006). Cardi et al., 1999, developed somatic hybrid between S. tuberosum and S. commersonii for frost tolerance. Anithakumar et al., 2012, identified 28 drought specific QTLs and 17 under recovery treatment in potato. A BADH gene from spinach under the control of the stress-induced promoter rd29A from Arabidopsis thaliana was introduced for salinity and drought tolerant in potato cv. Gannongshu 2 by Agrobacterium tumefaciens methods. Therefore, location specific suitable new breeding approaches need to be formulated for developing climate resilient varieties of vegetable crops for sustaining the self-sufficiency in this sector.