ISAAA SEAsiaCenter
Development of Transgenic Late Blight-Resistant (LBR) Potato for India, Bangladesh, and Indonesia The potato is an important vegetable crop in India, Bangladesh, and Indonesia, where it is grown predominantly by resource-limited farmers. Indonesia, in particular, has become the largest potato producer and consumer in Southeast Asia. Between 1969 and 1995, potato production in the country grew by an average of over 13% per year, more rapidly than any other country in the world. By the mid 1990’s, total annual production exceeded 1 million tons. Production of potatoes is dominated by smallholders dispersed over highland areas about 1200 meters above sea level. In addition to the lack and high price of good quality seeds, one of the major constraints on potato production is biotic stress caused by insect pest and plant diseases. Late blight disease, caused by Phytophtora infestans, causes potato yield losses averaging from 12-31% in the field depending, season (dry or rainy), altitude, and potato variety. During high levels of infestation, late blight disease can result to as much as 100% damage resulting to complete production loss. To control this biotic stress, farmers apply fungicides extensively. Fungicides used in the field include Ridomil 64 WP, Vondozeb 80 WP, Antracol 70 WP, Dithane M-45, Daconil 75 WP, Topsin M 70 WP, and Delsen MX 200. Farmers spend approximately 13.5% of their potato cultivation budget on disease control. To develop transgenic local potato varieties resistant to late blight disease .
Genetic resistance to late blight has been discovered and mapped in a close relative of potato, and the gene itself (designated RB) has been isolated and inserted into the popular variety Katahdin by researchers at the University of Wisconsin. Resistance has been demonstrated in field trials of the International Late Blight Testing Program in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Mexico (PICTIPAPA). Researchers at Michigan State University have also transformed the Kufri variety from India with the RB gene and are now testing it in the greenhouse. Based on these demonstrations, it is anticipated that this gene will also be effective in other countries where late blight is an important disease. ABSPII will assist in the transfer of the transgenic resistance gene to potato varieties in India, Bangladesh, and Indonesia; train scientists from those countries; facilitate field testing of locally-adapted transgenic resistant varieties; and assist with regulatory compliance and communication to make transgenic Late Blight-Resistant potato seed available to resource-limited farmers in the three countries. Countries for deployment include India, Bangladesh, and Indonesia. Collaborators are the International Potato Late Blight Testing Program (PICTIPAPA) in Mexico; the USDA-ARS, the University of Wisconsin, and Michigan State (MSU) in the USA; the Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) in India; the Tuber Crops Center (TCS) in Bangladesh; and ICABIOGRAD/IVEGRI in Indonesia. |
Main:
|
|
