Towards the Development of Salt-Tolerant Potato

Abstract

Soil salinity is a major constrain to crop production and climate change accelerates it. It reduces plant water potential, causes ion imbalance, reduce plant growth and productivity, and eventually leads to death of the plant. This is the case in potato. However, potato has coping strategies such as accumulation of proline, an osmoregulator and osmoprotector. In addition, leaching of salts below the root zone is preferred, exogenous application of ascorbic acid and growth hormones are practiced to combat salinity. Breeding and genetic engineering also play key roles in salinity management of potato. Varieties such as: Amisk, BelRus, Bintje, Onaway, Sierra, and Tobique were tolerant in North America, variety Cara in Egypt, Sumi in Korea and varieties Vivaldi and Almera in Mediterranean region. Transgenic lines of Kennebec variety, lines S2 and M48 also proved tolerance due to transcription factor MYB4 encoded by rice Osmyb4 gene.