Potato Review

42 POTATO REVIEW JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 POTATO GENOME S cientists fromWageningen University & Research (WUR) and Solynta, the inventor of Hybrid potato breeding, have published what they consider to be the most complete genome (the genetic material of an organism) sequence for potatoes to date. Solynta has been making the rst crosses since 2006. Making these homozygous inbred lines took 15 years. e process involved multiple rounds of crosses and in-breeding. All crosses were made by hand with no laboratory step involved. Sequencing and assembling took half a year. A unique aspect is that both sequence and plant material are made available for research (under speci c conditions). is may in the future result in a potato that is more resistant to heat or drought or has a greater resistance to diseases. “We encourage researchers to use this material to do research into the genetic basis of potato. Compared to other crops, knowledge in potato on the genetic basis of relevant traits is very limited, so we have to catch up. As this is a huge task, Solynta cannot do this alone, hence we have developed the sequence in collaboration with WUR, and we encourage other researchers to use the sequence and plant in their research projects. is is done today, already multiple requests have been received and granted,” a spokesman for the company said. “ e potato is one of the most important food crops worldwide. Improvements to its traits can therefore have a major impact,” he continued. Reading the genome structure of the potato is extremely tricky, however, as a regular potato consists of four genomes, which makes it di cult to determine the position of the genes. e recent research applied a diploid real potato plant with only one genome, a so-called homozygote, which makes it easier to read and compare the DNA base sequence. is plant, Solyntus, was produced as part of Solynta’s hybrid potato breeding programme. Breeding is more e cient when a diploid potato is used, hence most major food crops are diploid. Solynta has developed potato into a diploid hybrid crop, and has found disease resistance in the hybrids has developed very fast. Years of work pay o for Netherlands scientists as UK research continues. “To obtain more knowledge and improve the genetic research, which will accelerate the release of improved hybrids to growers, we have worked together with WUR to release this genome,” the company said in its statement. From 125,000 to 185 segments Professor at the Department of Plant Breeding at WUR, Richard Visser, is enthusiastic about the new sequence. He said: “ e previously available genome sequence, which I also helped establish, consisted of approximately 125,000 small segments. e genome we are presenting now comprises 185 large segments. is is a signi cant improvement which was achieved via a combination of unique plant material and new sequencing and analysis techniques. While the previous sequence involved a wild variety of the potato, we have now used an actual potato plant. I hope – and expect – that our work will eventually lead to a more e cient and faster potato breeding process.” Solynta’s R&D director Pim Lindhout is also pleased with the collaboration: “ is concrete result of a public-private partnership proves that we can describe and discover new properties faster together,” he said. “Two years ago, we showed that we could make a potato plant that is disease resistant within two years. is latest breakthrough means we can also explore and utilise other traits more quickly. I am convinced that this will lead to more sustainable potato production far sooner.” Faster and more focused breeding Various research projects withinWUR use both the plant and the sequence, enabling scientists to link experimental results to the genetic code. e very accurate genome sequence allows faster and more focused breeding, as it is easier to nd in the DNA which cross-breeds with other varieties might be of interest, and where the exchange of genetic material between ‘father’ and ‘mother’ should ideally take place. is means scientists know at an early stage whether the potato has the desired traits, such as resistance to speci c diseases. PepsiCo has nanced part of this research, as part of its global R&D e orts. SolyntusTM is a trademark that results from Solynta’s hybrid potato breeding programme. e spokesman for Solynta said the company is collaborating with multiple UK research institutes on potato genetics. “In our way forward towards marketing, speci c attention is being paid to how to grow these hybrids, as the resulting hybrid will be from true seed. True seed has many advantages, but growing protocols for potatoes from seedling have still to be developed. Solynta has global view on potato growing, and thus is also paying attention to the UK growing conditions. At present, we foresee our rst hybrids to enter the market in Africa,” he said. Complex potato genome further unveiled Aardappelzaad met vinger