Performance of superior potato clones under high and mild temperatures in tropical climate

Abstract

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a cool weather crop and one of the most important vegetables in the world, which is cultivated in temperate, subtropical, and tropical climates. Nearly all cultivated areas in Brazil use cultivars from temperate countries, resulting in lower performances particularly due to higher temperatures. The aim of this study was to identify clones that yielded better than foreign cultivars, both under high and mild temperature conditions. The study assessed 57 clones from the potato breeding program of the Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), Brazil, and five check cultivars (Agata, Asterix, Atlantic, Cupido, and Markies). We evaluated the agronomic performance using the total and marketable tuber yield, dry matter content (DM), season length, and external tuber quality, in four experiments designing in a random complete block, during the seasons 2014 and 2015. The genotypes' stability, as well as the discrimination between environments, was performed using the GGE-Biplot method. Twenty heat-tolerant clones responded favorably to mild temperatures. This breeding program has generated clones more productive and better looking than commercial cultivars, for the different market segments: two for the fresh market (GMR 17-40; GMR 12-10), four for frozen French fries (CBM 07-78; CTB 03-02; GMR 15-42; SR2 35-05) and seven for potato chips

Assessing heat tolerance in potatoes: Responses to stressful Texas field locations and controlled contrasting greenhouse conditions

“…Environment, cultivar, and their interaction jointly dictate yield capacity ( Benavides-Cardona et al., 2022 ), with environment notably impacting traits like yield and tuber dry matter. A yield reduction of 13% in Brazil ( Patino-Torres et al., 2021 ) was recorded, while in Bangladesh, reductions ranged from 4.5% to 34.8% ( Mahmud et al., 2021 ) due to heat stress. The yield in the current study was higher in field and greenhouse experiments exposed to less heat stress, consistent with findings from previous reports.…”

Genetic Basis of Potato Tuber Defects and Identification of Heat-Tolerant Clones

“…These locations can be classified as heat-stress sites for potatoes based on the prevailing temperatures during the crop period, which align with other locations previously used to study heat stress on potatoes. Temperatures above 20 °C for 57% and 69% of the vegetative period have been reported as stressful environments [ 38 ], since potatoes need cooler nights to tuberize properly. Fernandes Filho et al [ 39 ] have reported a maximum temperature around 30 °C as heat-stress environment for screening potatoes for heat stress.…”

Evaluating the impact of modeling the family effect for clonal selection in potato-breeding programs

“…Understanding and effectively managing the G×E interaction is essential for achieving long-term improvements in plant breeding programs because the success of a new cultivar depends on its improved performance on different traits (e.g., TTY and SG) while also presenting good adaptability and stability. The G×E assumes a particular importance for potato breeding, mainly under tropical conditions, because heat stress limits yield and quality in the hottest periods of the year ( Fleisher et al., 2017 ; Fernandes Filho et al., 2021 ; Patiño-Torres et al., 2021 ).…”

“…Potato crop generally presents better performance in regions with temperate climate, with average temperatures between 5°C and 21°C ( Haverkort and Verhagen, 2008 ). With temperature exceeding 21°C, heat stress significantly reduces tuber yield and quality, due to a series of physiological changes, including an increase in tuber disorders (e.g., internal heat necrosis, knobs, and tuber chain), reduced plant growth, increased respiration rate, greater allocation of dry biomass to leaves at the expense of the tubers, and the reduction in photosynthetic pigments ( Lambert et al., 2006 ; Haverkort and Verhagen, 2008 ; Hancock et al., 2014 ; Rykaczewska, 2015 ; Patiño-Torres et al., 2021 ). Thus, the selection of heat-tolerant clones is vital to increase potato tuber yield and quality.…”

“…This effect is significant for potato-breeding programs in tropical and subtropical regions as the crop is grown in different seasons throughout the year (winter, fall, and summer). Therefore, one goal of this program is the development of heat-tolerant clones by assessing promisor clones in contrasting seasons to determine their ability to withstand heat stress ( Fernandes Filho et al., 2021 ; Patiño-Torres et al., 2021 ). Mixed model methodologies have an important role in connecting these different experiments and estimating parameters that are useful for the selection process ( Henderson et al., 1959 ; Smith et al., 2001 ; Smith et al., 2015 ).…”