Breeding colorful disease- and pest-tolerant potatoes

View the project final report

• 2006 annual report
• 2007 annual report

Commodities

• Agronomic: potatoes

Practices

• Education and Training: demonstration, extension, on-farm/ranch research
• Farm Business Management: whole farm planning
• Pest Management: genetic resistance
• Production Systems: holistic management

Colorado potato beetle and potato scab reduce the production of marketable potatoes in the Northeast. There are varieties of potatoes that are tolerant to one pest or the other, but not both. This project will investigate the possibility of breeding a new line of potatoes that have combined tolerance to both of these common pests, while incorporating interesting skin and flesh color into the resistant lines. Outreach will be through articles, web sites, and a tasting event.