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Inheritance of Tuber Greening Under Light Exposure in Diploid Potatoes

American Journal of Potato Research, May/Jun 2006 by Jakuczun, Henryka, Zimnoch-Guzowska, Ewa

ABSTRACT

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Low tendency to tuber greening under light exposure is a desirable trait for marketing and processing potatoes. Knowledge of the genetic basis of this trait is limited. During two consecutive years tuber greening after 2-week light exposure was evaluated on 17 unselected diploid potato families obtained between parents with varying tuber-greening tendencies. Parents of these families and standard cultivars were evaluated at the same time. External and depth of tuber greening were examined after tubers were exposed to 2 weeks of light in the greenhouse followed by storage at 10 C, 4 C, and after reconditioning at 18 C. Families, storage conditions, and years significantly influenced tuber greening. Distribution of greening indicated it would be possible to select individuals with very low tuber-greening tendency. Generally, external tuber greening was more intense than depth of greening. External tuber greening increased during storage while depth of tuber greening decreased. A significant maternal effect on external tuber greening was found in one of the three sets of reciprocal crosses after storage at 4 C. Both general and specific combining abilities were important in the inheritance of tuber greening. The correlations between external and depth of tuber greening in most families were significant and relatively high. The results indicated that genotypes with low tendency to tuber greening can be selected in diploid families.

RESUMEN

Un carácter deseable de la papa para comercialización y procesamiento, es su baja tendencia al verdeo de los tubércules por exposición a la luz. El conocimiento sobre la base genética de esta característica es limitado. El verdeo fue evaluado durante dos años consecutivos en 17 families de papa diploide no seleccionada, obtenida de progenitores con diferentes tendencias. Se evaluaron al mismo tiempo los progenitores de estas familias y los cultivares estándar. El verdeo externo y profundidad en el tubérculo fue examinado después de que los tubérculos fueron expuestos a dos semanas de luz en el invernadero y luego almacenados a 10 C, 4 C y después que se reacondicionaron a 18 C. Los factores como familias, condiciones de almacenamiento y años influenciaron significativamente el verdeo de los tubérculos. La distribución del verdeo indicó que sería posible seleccionar individuos con tendencia mínima a esta característica. Generalmente el verdeo externo del tubérculo fue más intenso que la profundidad. El verdeo superficial aumentó con el almacenamiento, mientras que la profundidad disminuyó. En uno de los tres grupos de cruzamientos recíprocos se encontró un efecto significativo del progenitor femenino sobre el verdeo externo del tubérculo después del almacenamiento a 4 C. Tanto las aptitudes de combinación general como específica fueron importantes en la herencia del verdeo de los tubérculos. La correlación entre el verdeo externo y profundidad en el tubérculo, en la mayoría de las familias fue significativa y relativamente alta. Los resultados indican que los genotipos con baja tendencia al verdeo del tubérculo pueden ser seleccionados en familias diploides.

Accepted for publication 11 November 2005.

ADDITIONAL KEY WORDS: External and depth of greening, maternal effect, GSA, SCA, tuber treatment

INTRODUCTION

Potato is one of the main crops in the world. In Poland people consume on average approximately 130 kg of potatoes per year. In developing a new cultivar, about 50 resistance and quality traits should be tested in the average 10- to 12-year breeding cycle. Although resistance to tuber greening under light exposure is a desirable trait for marketing, little is known about the genetic basis of this quality trait. Potatoes marketed for table use and for processing are kept in the light, which induces tuber greening. This trait reduces the marketable and processing value of potatoes. Until now cultivars with nongreening tubers have not been bred, although Brune and MeIo (2001) reported that two tetraploid clones had a very low tendency for tuber greening and two other clones were moderate for this trait.

Tuber greening is caused by the formation of chlorophyll upon exposure to light, initially just under the periderm and then in the tuber flesh. Transformation of non-green plastids into chloroplasts is common in the plant world (Thomas 1980; Pyke 1999; Vothknecht and Westhoff 2001). Greened tubers are associated with an accumulation of glycoalkaloids, which are poisonous for people and animals (Edwards et al. 1998; Griffiths et al. 1998; Percival 1999). Many factors can influence tuber greening, such as light (Liljemark and Widoff 1960; Yamaguchi et al. 1960; Akeley et al. 1962; Brown and Riley 1976), maturity of tubers (Buck and Akeley 1967), time and temperature of storage (Griffiths et al. 1998), production treatments (Lewis and Rowberry 1973), or tuber size (Parfitt and Peloquin 1981). The relationship between skin color and type and tuber greening was investigated by Harkett (1975), Brown and Riley (1976), and Reeves (1988).

Food & Beverage Industry

Inheritance of Tuber Greening Under Light Exposure in Diploid Potatoes

American Journal of Potato Research, May/Jun 2006 by Jakuczun, Henryka, Zimnoch-Guzowska, Ewa

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