The past record and future prospects for the use of exotic potato germplasm

Abstract

Potatoes had probably been introduced into North America from Europe by the end of the 17th Century. Several significant introductions since then have added to the initial germplasm. The Chilean clone “Rough Purple Chili”, introduced by Chauncey Goodrich in 1851, is in the pedigrees of almost all modern varieties. The initiation of plant exploration and establishment of germplasm centers in the 1920’s greatly expanded the germplasm base. Utilization ofS. demissum for blight resistance led to the development of many new varieties in the 1940’s. The German variety “Jubel” was widely used in breeding for scab resistance and “Villaroela” from Chile, for virus resistance. “Katahdin”, with several European introductions as well as the South American varieties “Daber” and “Rough Purple Chili”, in its pedigree, was widely used as a parent from the 1930’s to the 1960’s. More recently, the convenience of obtaining germplasm from the IR-1 project, and the genetic, cytogenetic, and adaptation studies based on this germplasm, have fostered a new wave of the use of exotic material. This research, coupled with extensive screening for valuable traits, makes the use of exotic germplasm more feasible and more productive.