Potato Research Articles

Cytokinin Oxidase (CKX) Family Members in Potato (Solanum tuberosum): Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Patterns at Seedling Stage under Stress

Cytokinin (CK) is an important hormone that regulates cell differentiation. The CK content in plants is regulated by cytokinin oxidase (CKX), an important enzyme that participates in hormone-regulated pathways. Additionally, CKXs comprise a large family of enzymes, but little information exists on the CKXs in potato (Solanum tuberosum). In this study, nine CKXs were identified in the potato genome and named StCKX01-09, according to their order on the linkage groups (LGs). They belong to six subfamilies, and the members within the respective subfamilies had similar motifs, a similar gene structure, and similar cis-acting elements. Additionally, the CKXs from four other species, including Arabidopsis, rice (Oryza sativa), soybean (Glycine max), and maize (Zea mays), were also divided into six subfamilies, while members within each subfamily had similar types of motifs. Moreover, the potato StCKXs were shown to influence plant hormones and stress-related factors. StCKXs were collinear, with one CKX in Arabidopsis and five CKXs in Glycine max. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed tissue-specific expression patterns in the potato seedlings and changes in the expression levels in response to stress. Furthermore, the cytokinin content and CKX enzyme activity were shown to be regulated by StCKXs. This study provides detailed information that can help future endeavors in the molecular breeding of potato (Solanum tuberosum).

The impacts of film mulching and ridging on N2O emissions, relevant functional genes, and microbial communities in rain-fed potato fields

Rain-fed potato (Solanum tuberosum) fields in drylands significantly contribute to nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, making them an important focus of agricultural greenhouse gas research. Film mulching and ridging are key agricultural methods in potato cultivation. Investigating the impact of these methods on N2O emissions, nitrifying/denitrifying functional genes, and microbial communities can provide a theoretical basis for soil emission reduction and more sustainable dryland agriculture. We examine the effects of flat tillage with mulching, ridge tillage with mulching, flat tillage without mulching, and ridge tillage without mulching, on potato fields under natural rainfall conditions in Wuchuan County, China. N2O emission fluxes were monitored using a static (dark) chamber and gas chromatography. Real-time quantitative PCR (q-PCR) was used to quantify abundances of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria related to N2O emissions at various potato-growth stages. Illumina high-throughput sequencing was used to investigate microbial community structure by targeting 16S rRNA genes; related soil elements (soil temperatures and moisture) are analyzed. Mulching and ridging indirectly influence N2O emissions, nitrifying/denitrifying functional gene copy numbers, and microbial community structure by altering soil temperature and moisture. Cumulative N2O emissions and emission intensity were both consistently higher in ridge tillage with mulching during the potato-growing period. Ammonia-oxidizing archaea are the main microorganisms that control N2O emissions, with nitrification-coupled denitrification also being an important mechanism contributing to high N2O emissions during soil dry–wet cycles. Increased soil temperature and moisture elevated N2O emissions and functional gene copy numbers. The combination of mulching and ridging effectively uses the characteristics of both practices, making Nitrospira the dominant genus, and significantly increases N2O emissions.

Impact of three distinct inducers on potatoe plant (Solanum tuberosum) infected with Potato Virus Y (Potyvirus)

Impact of three distinct inducers on potatoe plant (Solanum tuberosum) infected with Potato Virus Y (Potyvirus)

Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the CONSTANS-like family in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.).

The CONSTANS-like (COL) gene plays important roles in plant growth, development, and abiotic stress. A total of 15 COL genes are unevenly distributed on eight chromosomes in the potato genome. The amino acid length of the family members was 347-453 aa, the molecular weight was 38.65-49.92 kD, and the isoelectric point was 5.13-6.09. The StCOL family can be divided into three subfamilies by evolutionary tree analysis, with conserved motifs and similar gene structure positions in each subfamily. The analysis of promoter cis-acting elements showed 17 cis-acting elements related to plant hormones, stress, and light response. Collinearity analysis of COL genes of tomato, potato, and Arabidopsis showed that 13 StCOL genes in the different species may have a common ancestor. A total of 10 conserved motifs and six kinds of post-translational modifications in the 15 StCOL proteins were identified. The 15 StCOL genes exhibit a genomic structure consisting of exons and introns, typically ranging from two to four in number. The results showed that 10 genes displayed significant expression across all potato tissues, while the remaining five genes were down-expressed in potato transcriptome data. The quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis exhibited differential expression of 8 StCOL genes in the potato leaves and tubers at different growth stages, as well as 7 StCOL genes under 2°C treatment conditions. These results suggested that the StCOL gene family may play an important role in regulating potato tuberization and responding to cold stress.

Effects of gibberellic acid on potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) growth and development during off-season cultivation

Effects of gibberellic acid on potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) growth and development during off-season cultivation

Potato Berries as a Valuable Source of Compounds Potentially Applicable in Crop Protection and Pharmaceutical Sectors: A Review.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a major agricultural crop cultivated worldwide. To meet market demand, breeding programs focus on enhancing important agricultural traits such as disease resistance and improvement of tuber palatability. However, while potato tubers get a lot of attention from research, potato berries are mostly overlooked due to their level of toxicity and lack of usefulness for the food production sector. Generally, they remain unused in the production fields after harvesting the tuber. These berries are toxic due to high levels of glycoalkaloids, which might confer some interesting bioactivities. Berries of various solanaceous species contain bioactive secondary metabolites, suggesting that potato berries might contain similarly valuable metabolites. Therefore, possible applications of potato berries, e.g., in the protection of plants against pests and pathogens, as well as the medical exploitation of their anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, and antifungal properties, are plausible. The presence of valuable compounds in potato berries could also contribute to the bioeconomy by providing a novel use for otherwise discarded agricultural side streams. Here we review the potential use of these berries for the extraction of compounds that can be exploited to produce pharmaceuticals and plant protection products.

Functional and evolutionary comparative analysis of the DIR gene family in Nicotiana tabacum L. and Solanum tuberosum L.

BackgroundThe dirigent (DIR) genes encode proteins that act as crucial regulators of plant lignin biosynthesis. In Solanaceae species, members of the DIR gene family are intricately related to plant growth and development, playing a key role in responding to various biotic and abiotic stresses. It will be of great application significance to analyze the DIR gene family and expression profile under various pathogen stresses in Solanaceae species.ResultsA total of 57 tobacco NtDIRs and 33 potato StDIRs were identified based on their respective genome sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of DIR genes in tobacco, potato, eggplant and Arabidopsis thaliana revealed three distinct subgroups (DIR-a, DIR-b/d and DIR-e). Gene structure and conserved motif analysis showed that a high degree of conservation in both exon/intron organization and protein motifs among tobacco and potato DIR genes, especially within members of the same subfamily. Total 8 pairs of tandem duplication genes (3 pairs in tobacco, 5 pairs in potato) and 13 pairs of segmental duplication genes (6 pairs in tobacco, 7 pairs in potato) were identified based on the analysis of gene duplication events. Cis-regulatory elements of the DIR promoters participated in hormone response, stress responses, circadian control, endosperm expression, and meristem expression. Transcriptomic data analysis under biotic stress revealed diverse response patterns among DIR gene family members to pathogens, indicating their functional divergence. After 96 h post-inoculation with Ralstonia solanacearum L. (Ras), tobacco seedlings exhibited typical symptoms of tobacco bacterial wilt. The qRT-PCR analysis of 11 selected NtDIR genes displayed differential expression pattern in response to the bacterial pathogen Ras infection. Using line 392278 of potato as material, typical symptoms of potato late blight manifested on the seedling leaves under Phytophthora infestans infection. The qRT-PCR analysis of 5 selected StDIR genes showed up-regulation in response to pathogen infection. Notably, three clustered genes (NtDIR2, NtDIR4, StDIR3) exhibited a robust response to pathogen infection, highlighting their essential roles in disease resistance.ConclusionThe genome-wide identification, evolutionary analysis, and expression profiling of DIR genes in response to various pathogen infection in tobacco and potato have provided valuable insights into the roles of these genes under various stress conditions. Our results could provide a basis for further functional analysis of the DIR gene family under pathogen infection conditions.

Biocontrol potential of endophytic fungi against phytopathogenic nematodes on potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Root-knot nematodes (RKNs) are a vital pest that causes significant yield losses and economic damage to potato plants. The use of chemical pesticides to control these nematodes has led to environmental concerns and the development of resistance in the nematode populations. Endophytic fungi offer an eco-friendly alternative to control these pests and produce secondary metabolites that have nematicidal activity against RKNs. The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy of Aspergillus flavus (ON146363), an entophyte fungus isolated from Trigonella foenum-graecum seeds, against Meloidogyne incognita in filtered culture broth using GC–MS analysis. Among them, various nematicidal secondary metabolites were produced: Gadoleic acid, Oleic acid di-ethanolamide, Oleic acid, and Palmitic acid. In addition, biochemical compounds such as Gallic acid, Catechin, Protocatechuic acid, Esculatin, Vanillic acid, Pyrocatechol, Coumarine, Cinnamic acid, 4, 3-indol butyl acetic acid and Naphthyl acetic acid by HPLC. The fungus was identified through morphological and molecular analysis, including ITS 1–4 regions of ribosomal DNA. In vitro experiments showed that culture filtrate of A. flavus had a variable effect on reducing the number of egg hatchings and larval mortality, with higher concentrations showing greater efficacy than Abamectin. The fungus inhibited the development and multiplication of M. incognita in potato plants, reducing the number of galls and eggs by 90% and 89%, respectively. A. flavus increased the activity of defense-related enzymes Chitinas, Catalyse, and Peroxidase after 15, 45, and 60 days. Leaching of the concentrated culture significantly reduced the second juveniles’ stage to 97% /250 g soil and decreased the penetration of nematodes into the roots. A. flavus cultural filtrates via soil spraying improved seedling growth and reduced nematode propagation, resulting in systemic resistance to nematode infection. Therefore, A. flavus can be an effective biological control agent for root-knot nematodes in potato plants. This approach provides a sustainable solution for farmers and minimizes the environmental impact.

Effect of NPK Levels on Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Tuber Yield Attributes in the North Zone of Bihar, India

Effect of NPK Levels on Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Tuber Yield Attributes in the North Zone of Bihar, India

Agronomical interventions for enhancing seed size tubers in potato (Solanum tuberosum) variety kufri khyati

The present experiment was conducted during 2020–21, 2021–22 and 2022–23 at Regional Station, ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh to evaluate the best spacing combination and dehaulming time for enhancing the seed size potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers and profitability under north-central plains of India. Experiment was conducted in a split-plot design (SPD) comprised of 5 spacing combinations, viz. S1, Ridge and furrow 60 cm × 20 cm (Control); S2, Ridge and furrow 60 cm × 15 cm; S3, Flatbed paired row 90 cm bed width (two rows at 40 cm × 20 cm plant to plant spacing); S4, Flatbed paired row 90 cm bed width (two rows at 40 cm × 15 cm plant to plant spacing); and S5, Flatbed triple row 90 cm bed width (three rows at 20 cm × 20 cm plant to plant spacing) in main plot and 2 haulm killing dates, viz. 70 and 80 days after planting in sub plots. The treatment S5, Flatbed triple row 90 cm bed width (three rows at 20 cm × 20 cm plant to plant spacing) spacing combination significantly increased the number and weight of seed size tubers, net seed size and total tuber yield when dehaulming was done after 80 days. The highest increase in seed size and total tubers over control reported when dehaulmed at 70 days. However, the treatment S3, Flatbed paired row 90 cm bed width (two rows at 40 cm × 20 cm plant to plant spacing) with 80 days haulm killing recorded highest seed size tuber 58.03% and benefit cost (B:C) ratio of 2.51:1 among all other treatment combinations. Though, treatment S3 i.e. flatbed paired row 90 cm bed width (two rows at 40 cm × 20 cm plant to plant spacing) with 80 days haulm killing combination require higher seed rate but can be an economically viable option for enhancing seed size tuber percent and B:C ratio.

Characterization of the GGP gene family in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and its expression analysis under hormonal and abiotic stresses

GDP-l-galactose phosphorylase (GGP) is a key rate-limiting enzyme in plant ascorbic acid synthesis, which plays an important role in plant growth and development as well as stress response. However, the presence of GGP and its function in potato and pepper are not known. In this study, we first identified two GGP genes in each potato and pepper genomes using a genome-wide search approach. We then analyzed their physicochemical properties, conserved domains, protein structures and phylogenetic relationships. Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that members of the potato and pepper GGP gene families are related to eggplant (Solanum melongena L.), Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana L.), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), with tomato being the most closely related. The promoter sequences mainly contain homeopathic elements such as light-responsive, hormone-responsive and stress-responsive, with light-responsive elements being the most abundant. By analyzing the structure of the genes, it was found that there is no transmembrane structure or signal peptide in the GGP gene family of potatoes and peppers, and that all of its members are hydrophilic proteins. The expression profiles of different tissues show that StGGP1 has the highest expression levels in leaves, StGGP2 has the highest expression levels in stamens, and CaGGPs have the highest expression levels in the early stages of fruit development (Dev1). It was found that StGGPs and CaGGPs genes showed different response to phytohormones and abiotic stresses. Abscisic acid (ABA) treatment induced the most significant change in the expression of StGGPs, while the expression of CaGGPs showed the most pronounced change under methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment. StGGPs responded mainly to dark treatment, whereas CaGGPs responded mainly to NaCl stress. These results provide an important basis for a detailed study about the functions of GGP homologous genes in potato and pepper in response to abiotic stresses.

Pythium aphanidermatum as a Novel Oomycete Pathogen Causing Leak on Potato (Solanum tuberosum) in Korea

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the most important food crops in Korea. In July 2021 and 2022, dark black-rot symptoms with pink tinges were observed on field-grown potato tubers in Hongsung and Chuncheon, Korea, respectively. We obtained four isolates (HSv05 and HSv10 from Hongsung, and CCp03 and CCp05 from Chuncheon) from diseased tubers and identified these isolates as Pythium aphanidermatum by analyzing the sequences of internal transcribed spacer rDNA region and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (COX2) mtDNA gene. Additionally, we compared the cultural and morphological characteristics of these four isolates with those of the reference isolate KACC 48066 of P. aphanidermatum and the literature. Further, we tested the pathogenicity of all these isolates against potato tubers. The cultural and morphological characteristics of the four test isolates were similar to those of the reference isolate and the literature; all four test isolates proved pathogenic to potato tubers. Therefore, we concluded that P. aphanidermatum is the causal agent of potato leak and this is the first report of the disease on potato in Korea.

Identification and Expression Analysis of UPS Gene Family in Potato.

Ureide permeases (UPSs) mediate the transport of ureides, including allantoin and allantoate, which act as nitrogen-transporting compounds in plants and have recently been found to play a role in cellular signaling. To date, UPSs have not been reported in potato, and their identification is important for further function studies and for understanding molecular mechanisms of plant adverse responses. Based on potato genomic data, we identified 10 StUPS genes in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). Then, we conducted a comprehensive study of the identified StUPS genes using bioinformatics methods. Genome phylogenetic and genomic localization analyses revealed that StUPSs can be classified into four categories, are highly homologous to Arabidopsis thaliana UPS members, and are distributed on three chromosomes. The six StUPS genes were investigated by RT-qPCR, and the findings indicated that all of these genes are involved in the response to several stresses, including low nitrogen, cold, ABA, salt, H2O2, and drought. This study establishes a strong theoretical framework for investigating the function of potato UPS genes, as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying the responses of these genes to various environmental stresses.

Promiscuous potato: elucidating genetic identity and the complex genetic relationships of a cultivated potato germplasm collection.

A total of 3,860 accessions from the global in trust clonal potato germplasm collection w3ere genotyped with the Illumina Infinium SolCAP V2 12K potato SNP array to evaluate genetic diversity and population structure within the potato germplasm collection. Diploid, triploid, tetraploid, and pentaploid accessions were included representing the cultivated potato taxa. Heterozygosity ranged from 9.7% to 66.6% increasing with ploidy level with an average heterozygosity of 33.5%. Identity, relatedness, and ancestry were evaluated using hierarchal clustering and model-based Bayesian admixture analyses. Errors in genetic identity were revealed in a side-by-side comparison of in vitro clonal material with the original mother plants revealing mistakes putatively occurring during decades of processing and handling. A phylogeny was constructed to evaluate inter- and intraspecific relationships which together with a STRUCTURE analysis supported both commonly used treatments of potato taxonomy. Accessions generally clustered based on taxonomic and ploidy classifications with some exceptions but did not consistently cluster by geographic origin. STRUCTURE analysis identified putative hybrids and suggested six genetic clusters in the cultivated potato collection with extensive gene flow occurring among the potato populations, implying most populations readily shared alleles and that introgression is common in potato. Solanum tuberosum subsp. andigena (ADG) and S. curtilobum (CUR) displayed significant admixture. ADG likely has extensive admixture due to its broad geographic distribution. Solanum phureja (PHU), Solanum chaucha (CHA)/Solanum stenotomum subsp. stenotomum (STN), and Solanum tuberosum subsp. tuberosum (TBR) populations had less admixture from an accession/population perspective relative to the species evaluated. A core and mini core subset from the genebank material was also constructed. SNP genotyping was also carried out on 745 accessions from the Seed Savers potato collection which confirmed no genetic duplication between the two potato collections, suggesting that the collections hold very different genetic resources of potato. The Infinium SNP Potato Array is a powerful tool that can provide diversity assessments, fingerprint genebank accessions for quality management programs, use in research and breeding, and provide insights into the complex genetic structure and hybrid origin of the diversity present in potato genetic resource collections.

Classification of Plant Disease using a State-of-the Art Deep learning Algorithm on a Tesla GPU

This paper proposes a study conducted on various techniques that can be employed for the early detection of plant diseases. With exponential growth in the global population, there is a dire need for the detection and prevention of various types of plant diseases such as Mosaic virus in Solanum Lycopersicon (tomato), bacterial spot in Fragaria Ananassa (strawberry), late and early blight in Solanum Tuberosum (potato), huanglongbing in Citrus sinensis (orange), and Isariopsis leaf spot in Vitis vinifera (grapes). These diseases generally lead to lower yields and hence less profit. In the last two decades, there has been rapid development in the fields of image processing and deep learning. Various models of deep learning can be used for plant disease detection. The main objective is that as soon as plant leaf disease appears, there should be one device to monitor the symptoms and detect them over a large field with as much accuracy as possible. This study compares the deep learning models Resnet, MobileNet, and inceptionV3 that are implemented on a large dataset taken from the Kaggle repository. We implemented the models using Google Colaboratory tools, which provide us with Python’s Jupyter notebook that runs on the Google cloud server. The GPU “Tesla T4” and CPU “Intel Xenon” were used during training, validation, and testing respectively. The training and validation accuracy of the InceptionV3 model was 98.78% and 93.94%, respectively. MobileNet classified various plant diseases with training and validation accuracies of 99.57% and 97.31. Similarly, for ResNet, the training accuracy was found to be around 99.62% and the validation accuracy was 97.16%. We hope that this work will provide a helpful resource for other researchers working in the field of agriculture to detect various types of crop diseases. Future work and some challenges still faced are also discussed in this study.

Classification of Plant Disease using a State-of-the Art Deep learning Algorithm on a Tesla GPU

This paper proposes a study conducted on various techniques that can be employed for the early detection of plant diseases. With exponential growth in the global population, there is a dire need for the detection and prevention of various types of plant diseases such as Mosaic virus in Solanum Lycopersicon (tomato), bacterial spot in Fragaria Ananassa (strawberry), late and early blight in Solanum Tuberosum (potato), huanglongbing in Citrus sinensis (orange), and Isariopsis leaf spot in Vitis vinifera (grapes). These diseases generally lead to lower yields and hence less profit. In the last two decades, there has been rapid development in the fields of image processing and deep learning. Various models of deep learning can be used for plant disease detection. The main objective is that as soon as plant leaf disease appears, there should be one device to monitor the symptoms and detect them over a large field with as much accuracy as possible. This study compares the deep learning models Resnet, MobileNet, and inceptionV3 that are implemented on a large dataset taken from the Kaggle repository. We implemented the models using Google Colaboratory tools, which provide us with Python’s Jupyter notebook that runs on the Google cloud server. The GPU “Tesla T4” and CPU “Intel Xenon” were used during training, validation, and testing respectively. The training and validation accuracy of the InceptionV3 model was 98.78% and 93.94%, respectively. MobileNet classified various plant diseases with training and validation accuracies of 99.57% and 97.31. Similarly, for ResNet, the training accuracy was found to be around 99.62% and the validation accuracy was 97.16%. We hope that this work will provide a helpful resource for other researchers working in the field of agriculture to detect various types of crop diseases. Future work and some challenges still faced are also discussed in this study.

Role of Agricultural Sulfur and Phosphate Fertilizer Levels on the Availability of Specific Nutrients and the Productivity of Potatoe (Solanum Tuberosum L.)

Role of Agricultural Sulfur and Phosphate Fertilizer Levels on the Availability of Specific Nutrients and the Productivity of Potatoe (Solanum Tuberosum L.)

Effect of Calcium Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate and Malic Acid Spraying on the Storage Characteristics of Two cvs. of Potato Tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Effect of Calcium Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate and Malic Acid Spraying on the Storage Characteristics of Two cvs. of Potato Tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Response of Two Potato Varieties Solanum tuberosum L. to Spraying with Moringa Leaf Extract on Crop Storage Characteristics

Response of Two Potato Varieties Solanum tuberosum L. to Spraying with Moringa Leaf Extract on Crop Storage Characteristics

ANALYSIS OF SWEET POTATO PRODUCTION IN EBONYI STATE, NIGERIA

This paper analyzed sweet potato production in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Multi-stage and proportionate sampling methods were used to collect two hundred and one sweet potato farmers for the study. Data were collected using structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive such as frequency and percentages and inferential statistics such as Ordinary Least Square regression model. Results showed that 74.13% of the sweet potato farmers were female with mean age of 38years, mean educational level of 12years with 96.52% of them were married having a mean household size of 8persons. Farm size, quantity of improved sweet potato varieties planted, labour and weeding were significant at 1% and 5% respectively and were positively related to vine yield while farm size, quantity of improved sweet potato varieties planted, fertilizer application and insecticide were significant at 1% and 5% respectively and were positively related to root yield. The production of sweet potato in Ebonyi state was affected by some production factors which causes low yield in the vine and root of sweet potato. Therefore, Organization of field days and farmers’ training on sweet potato production as well as procurement and distribution of improved varieties to farmers are effective strategies for stimulating adoption of the technologies.