Evaluation of Wild Potato Germplasm for Tuber Starch Content and Nitrogen Utilization Efficiency

Abstract

<jats:p>Potato wild relatives provide a considerable source of variation for important traits in cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) breeding. This study evaluates the variation of tuber starch content and nitrogen utilization efficiency (NutE) in wild potato germplasm. For the experiments regarding starch content, 28 accessions of ten different tuber-bearing wild Solanum-species were chosen, and in vitro plantlets were raised from seeds. Twenty plantlets (= genotypes) per accession were then cultivated in the greenhouse until natural senescence and tuber starch content was determined. The average tuber starch content across all genotypes tested was 21.7% of fresh mass. Contents above 28% of fresh mass were found in 50 genotypes, belonging to the species S. chacoense, S. commersonii, S. jamesii, and S. pinnatisectum. Subsequently, 22 wild genotypes revealing high tuber starch contents and four modern varieties of cultivated potato were studied as in vitro plantlets under optimal and low N supply (30 and 7.5 mmol L−1 N). Low N supply lead to a genotype-dependent reduction of shoot dry mass between 13 and 46%. The majority of the wild types also reduced root dry mass by 26 to 62%, while others maintained root growth and even exceeded the NutE of the varieties under low N supply. Thus, wild potato germplasm appears superior to cultivars in terms of tuber starch contents and N utilization efficiency, which should be investigated in further studies.</jats:p>

Plant Biodiversity and Genetic Resources Matter!

“…Several papers highlight the importance of vegetables as well as traditional, underutilized and wild food plants for food and nutrition security in general [19,25], in pilot studies in Kenya [20], and on atolls in the South Pacific [26], including specific crops, such as Hairy Stork's Bill (Erodium crassifolium) [27], and the sister of the common pomegranate (Punica protopunica), the latter also having interesting medicinal properties [28]. A number of papers focus on the genetic diversity of specific crops or specific traits in a range of food crops for the benefit of plant breeding, such as genome-wide association mapping for stripe rust resistance in spring wheat [29], diversity studies for drought and heat stress in maize landraces [30], nitrogen fixation and water use efficiency in common bean landraces and cultivars in Honduras [31], species identification of Katsouni pea on Greek Islands [32], wild potato germplasm evaluation for starch content and nitrogen utilization efficiency [33], diversity, population structure and marker-trait association for 100-seed weight in a safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) germplasm panel [34], the composition of Cypriot grapevine varieties [35], species assignment, genetic diversity and phylogeographic relationships of wild germplasm of macadamia [36], genetic diversity and population structure of Rhododendron rex subsp. rex [37], and genetic distinctiveness of a Sicilian manna ash (Fraxinus angustifolia) collection [38].…”

A Model for the Determination of Potato Tuber Mass by the Measurement of Carbon Dioxide Concentration

“…One of the main chemical compounds that make up potato tubers is starch, the chemical formula of the monomer of which is C 6 H 10 O 5 . Depending on the potato variety, the mass fraction of starch in tubers is = 10–25% [ 29 ]. Based on this, knowing the mass of all starch monomer molecules stored in the tubers of the plant at time , it is possible to determine the total mass of tubers at the moment in accordance with the equation …”

“…The calculation in accordance with the Formula (14) ( Figure 2 b) allowed to obtain the calculated prediction of the potato tuber mass grown in the vertical farm. The input parameters of the calculation were taken from the experiment: the initial mass of the planted tubers was , the proportion of starch in the tuber [ 29 ], the average for the period of tuber formation ( [ 7 ])), and total leaf area . The resulting final mass of tubers , calculated using these parameters, was 7.82 kg.…”

Parameters used for the evaluation of potato (Solanum Tuberosum L.) Nitrogen use efficiency: a review

“…The available N influences the starch content and starch yield by positively affecting canopy development (Koch et al, 2020). In most cases, increasing available N has a negative effect on starch content in tubers (Bachmann-Pfabe & Dehmer, 2020;Öztürk et al, 2010). Kumar et al (2007) indicate that tuber quality is determined by genotype.…”