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The transition from juvenile to adult stage is an important switch in the plant's life cycle. Potato is a temperate staple food crop consumed globally. Potato tuberization is influenced by various environmental factors, such as light and temperature. The complex signaling network comprising hormones, sugars, phloem mobile signals, and transcriptional/post-transcriptional regulators determine potato tuber yield. For instance, StBEL5 and StSP6A translocate from leaves to stolon to activate tuberization. Here, polypyrimidine tract-binding proteins and sugar transporters such as SUT and SWEET11 facilitate the translocation. Additionally, post-transcriptional regulation mediated by miRNAs and small RNAs control the expression of StSP6A under elevated temperatures. This review provides mechanistic insights into the signaling networks comprising transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulators that coordinate potato tuberization under photoperiod regimes and high-temperature conditions. Such signaling networks are under dynamic genetic and epigenetic regulation controlling potato tuberization. Also, the molecular dialogue between the source and sink tissues is highlighted. Such mechanistic information is crucial to develop climate-resilient cultivars to sustain potato productivity under changing climate. Together, genetic manipulation of these critical regulators by implementing modern biotechnological tools can be a promising approach to enhance tuber production in potato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of American Journal of Potato Research is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of American Journal of Potato Research is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Potato cyst nematodes (PCNs), golden (yellow) cyst nematode (Globodera rostochiensis, gPCN) and pale (white) cyst nematode (G. pallida, pPCN), are important invasive pests in many countries and regions where they can cause significant yield and economic loss for agriculture. Prediction and identification of habitats suitable for PCNs are critical for developing biosecurity strategies, both pre and post border, to maximise the potential for early elimination should an incursion occur. To date, the potential global distribution of PCNs has not been thoroughly studied. Therefore, this study conducted a species distribution model to illustrate the potential global distribution of PCNs and risk regions. In this study, the Maximum Entropy Model (Maxent) associated with the Geographic Information System (GIS) was employed to reveal the potential distribution of the gPCN and pPCN. In addition to bioclimate, soil quality was also included in the model. The global cultivated lands, whether the susceptible hosts were present or not, were used to assess the maximum potential risk regions. The limitation factors for PCNs distribution were also assessed. Results showed that 66% of the global land surface was suitable for gPCN or pPCN or both, and both species can colonise more than 75% of the global cultivated lands. The coldest quarter's mean temperature and precipitation were critical limitations in unsuitable regions. In summary, the global risk maps of PCNs contribute valuable additional information that complements previous national/regional distribution predictions. The results of this distribution research will contribute practical support for decision-makers and practitioners to implement biosecurity strategies from a global perspective, that incorporate prevention or promptly enforce control practices to limit the damage caused by future incursions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about actual temperature regimes experienced by potato during the critical period of tuber bulking and their impact on plant and tuber growth outside the cool temperate production regions. We analysed the temperature data of potato growing regions in Western Australia (WA) and six other non-traditional potato growing regions for the number of days with maximum temperatures above 25, 30 or 35°C and their occurrence during tuber bulking. As anticipated, days with 25°C increased between 1985 and 2014 in all locations in WA. Surprisingly, across the other six locations, only Beersheba (Israel) showed a significant trend of increasing temperatures. Then, in a greenhouse experiment, we investigated how 1, 3, 6 and 9 days of 30°C applied shortly after tuber initiation influenced plant and tuber growth of potato cv. Royal Blue. Tuber mass and leaf area decreased linearly with increased duration of 30°C. In conclusion, potato grown in WA and other locations already experience growth limiting temperatures during tuber bulking and the frequency of hot days is increasing. Considering climate change and the expansion of potato production into non-traditional areas, more detailed examination of temperature regimes in other warm growing regions could be important for industry planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Viruses are the major threat to commercial potato (Solanum tuberosum) production worldwide. Because viral genomes only encode a small number of proteins, all stages of viral infection rely on interactions between viral proteins and host factors. Previously, we presented a list of the most important candidate genes involved in potato plants' defense response to viruses that are significantly activated in resistant cultivars. Isolated from this list, Aspartic Protease Inhibitor 5 (API5) is a critical host regulatory component of plant defense responses against pathogens. The purpose of this study is to determine the role of StAPI5 in defense of potato against potato virus Y and potato virus A, as well as its ability to confer virus resistance in a transgenic susceptible cultivar of potato (Desiree). Potato plants were transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens via a construct encoding the potato StAPI5 gene under the control of the Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter. Results: Transgenic plants overexpressing StAPI5 exhibited comparable virus resistance to non-transgenic control plants, indicating that StAPI5 functions in gene regulation during virus resistance. The endogenous StAPI5 and CaMV 35S promoter regions shared nine transcription factor binding sites. Additionally, the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductivity, and maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II were significantly higher in virus-infected transgenic plants than in wild-type plants. Conclusion: Overall, these findings indicate that StAPI5 may be a viable candidate gene for engineering plant disease resistance to viruses that inhibit disease development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the coastal region of the Ganges Delta, rice is the predominant crop during the wet/kharif season and most of the land remains fallow during dry/rabi season due to soil salinity and irrigation water scarcity. Sustainable intensification of coastal saline land needs an improved package of practices which conserves soil moisture, facilitates early crop establishment, ensures profitability and has a positive effect on soil health. To achieve these objectives, we evaluated seven treatments for the potato crop in a randomized complete block design with five replications (farms) during the rabi season of 2017–2018 and again in 2018–2019, viz. T1, ridge planting (control); T2, zero tillage planting with 15 cm (9 t ha−1) paddy straw mulching; T3, T2 + foliar spray of nutrients; T4, zero tillage planting with 20 cm (12 t ha−1) paddy straw mulching; T5, T4 + foliar spray of nutrients; T6, zero tillage planting with 25 cm (15 t ha−1) paddy straw mulching; and T7, T6 + foliar spray of nutrients. Tuber yield was higher in T5, T6 and T7 (37.9–41.5 t ha−1) during the second year over other treatments (21.5–32.3 t ha−1). About 200 mm of irrigation water can be saved by zero tillage planting with paddy straw mulching compared with ridge planting. The tuber quality in terms of crude protein, fat, crude fibre and carbohydrate was better under zero tillage planting with paddy straw mulching. The cost of cultivation of potato was reduced by about 27% due to zero tillage planting (US$ 1211.6 ha−1) compared with conventional tillage, intensive ridge planting practice (US$ 1660.4 ha−1). Zero tillage planting with paddy straw mulching resulted in a net return of US$ 1779.2 ha−1, whereas under conventional cultivation, it was US$ 589.6 ha−1. Zero tillage planting of potato with paddy straw mulching reduced soil salinity (ECe) from 5 to 3 dS m−1, conserved soil moisture (4–8%), improved soil bulk density from 1.49 to 1.44 Mg m−3 and increased soil organic carbon from 0.39 to 0.44%. The results of this study suggest that zero tillage potato cultivation in the dry/rabi season can increase cropping intensity in the salt-affected Ganges Delta and increase income of the farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change accompanied by continuous increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and temperature affects the growth and yield of important crops. The present study investigated the effect of elevated temperature and CO2 concentrations on the growth, yield, and photosynthesis of potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Superior) crops using Korean Soil-Plant-Atmosphere-Research chambers that allow the regulation of temperature and CO2 concentration under daylight conditions. Based on the average temperature from 1991 to 2010 in the Jeonju area, South Korea, potato plants were exposed to four different conditions: ambient weather (400 μmol mol-1, aCaT), elevated temperature (+4°C, aCeT), elevated CO2 concentration (800 μmol mol-1, eCaT), and concurrently elevated CO2 concentration and temperature (eCeT). Under aCeT conditions, the temperature exceeded the optimal growth temperature range towards the late growth phase that decreased stomatal conductance and canopy net photosynthetic rate and subsequently reduced biomass and tuber yield. Stomatal conductance and chlorophyll concentration were lower under eCaT conditions than under aCaT conditions, whereas late-growth phase biomass and tuber yield were greater. Compared to other conditions, eCeT yielded a distinct increase in growth and development and canopy net photosynthetic rate during tuber initiation and bulking. Consequently, biomass and canopy net photosynthesis increased, and tuber yield increased by 20.3%, which could be attributed to the increased tuber size, rather than increased tuber number. Elevated CO2 reduced chlorophyll, magnesium, and phosphorus concentrations; reducing nitrogen concentration (by approximately 39.7%) increased the C:N ratio. The data indicate that future climate conditions will likely change nutrient concentration and quality of crops. The present study shows that while elevated temperature may negatively influence the growth and yield of potato crops, especially towards the late-growth phase, the concurrent and appropriate elevation of CO2 and temperature could promote balanced development of source and sink organs and positively effect potato productivity and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of American Journal of Potato Research is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of American Journal of Potato Research is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Drought sensitivity of potato leads to a reduction in total tuber yield and marketable yield. An investigation of drought effects on tuber yield attributes will facilitate our understanding of how to reduce such huge yield losses. We have evaluated tuber yield, tuber size distribution and marketable yield of a set of 103 European commercial potato cultivars under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions in the field. The multi-year results from two locations, Connantre, France (2013–2015) and Nieuw-Namen in Zeeland, The Netherlands (2013–2014), were analysed. We used Normal and Gamma Distribution models to describe the tuber size distribution of tuber fresh weight and tuber number, respectively. The interactions among parameters of tuber size distribution and total/marketable tuber yield traits were analysed using correlation matrices and biplots. Finally, we used a 14K Infinium SNP marker array to find associations between the parameters or traits and genetic loci on the potato genome. Late foliage maturity facilitated a wider spread of tuber size distribution in favour of larger-sized tubers. Drought effects on total yield were representative of their impact on marketable yield, however, absolute values of total tuber number may not be indicative of marketable number of tubers. We found significant marker-trait associations between a region on chromosome 3 and the spread of tuber number distribution, size class with maximum tuber number and marketable fractions of tuber number and tuber weight. These findings will contribute to improvement and selection for drought tolerance in potato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion : Tolerance to heat stress for retention of low-temperature sweetening-resistant phenotype in potato is conferred by insensitivity of acid invertase activity to cold induction. Heat stress exacerbated cold sweetening (buildup of reducing sugars) of the LTS (low-temperature sweetening)-susceptible potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars, Ranger Russet and Russet Burbank, and completely abolished the resistance to cold sweetening in the LTS-resistant cultivars/clones, Sage Russet, GemStar Russet, POR06V12-3 and A02138-2. Payette Russet and EGA09702-2, however, demonstrated considerable tolerance to heat stress for retention of their LTS-resistant phenotype. Heat-primed Payette Russet and EGA09702-2 tubers accumulated fourfold more sucrose when subsequently stored at 4 °C, while reducing sugar concentrations also increased marginally but remained low relative to the non-heat-tolerant LTS-resistant clones, resulting in light-colored fries. By contrast, sucrose concentrations in heat-primed tubers of the non-heat-tolerant clones remained unchanged during LTS, but reducing sugars increased fivefold, resulting in darkening of processed fries. Acid invertase activity increased in the LTS-susceptible and non-heat-tolerant LTS-resistant cultivars/clones during cold storage. However, Payette Russet tubers maintained very low invertase activity regardless of heat stress and cold storage treatments, as was the case for Innate Russet Burbank (W8) tubers, where silenced invertase conferred robust tolerance to heat stress for retention of LTS-resistant phenotype. Importantly, heat-stressed tubers of Payette Russet, EGA09702-2 and Innate Russet Burbank (W8) demonstrated similar low reducing sugar and high sucrose-accumulating phenotypes when stored at 4 °C. Tolerance to heat stress for retention of LTS-resistant phenotype in Payette Russet and likely its maternal parent, EGA09702-2, is, therefore, conferred by the ability to maintain low invertase activity during cold storage of heat-stressed tubers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: In communities, plants often simultaneously interact with intra- and inter-specific neighbours and heterogeneous nutrients. How plants respond under these conditions and then affect the structure and function of communities remain important questions. Methods: Maize ( Zea mays L.) was intercropped with potatoes ( Solanum tuberosum L.). In the field experiment, we applied fertilizer both homogeneously and heterogeneously under monocropping and intercropping conditions. The heterogeneous nutrient treatment in intercropping was designed with different fertilizer placements, at intraspecific and interspecific rows, respectively. In the pot experiment, crops were grown under both homogeneous and heterogeneous nitrogen conditions with single plant, intraspecific and interspecific competition. Shoot and root biomass and yield were measured to analyse crop performance. Results: In the field experiment, the heterogeneous nitrogen, compared with the homogenous one, enhanced the performance of the intercropped crop. Importantly, this effect of heterogeneous nitrogen was greater when fertilizer was applied at interspecific rows, rather than at intraspecific rows. Moreover, in pot experiments, the root foraging precision of the two crops was increased by interspecific neighbours, but only that of potatoes was increased by intraspecific neighbours. Conclusions: The integrated responses of plants to heterogeneous neighbours and nutrients depend on the position of nutrient-rich patches, which deepen our understanding of the function of plant diversity, and show that fertilizer placement within multi-cropping systems merits more attention. Moreover, the enhanced utilization of heterogeneous nitrogen could drive overyielding in multi-cropping systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato plant growth and development are known to be severely impacted by heat stress. Here plants grown in a chemically inert medium of 1:1 quartzite: perlite (v:v) were subjected to either 35/25°C (stress) or 20/15°C (control) day/night air temperatures and four concentrations of root zone calcium (5, 25, 125 and 600 µM Ca) for 3 weeks. We report for the first time that potato plant growth under heat stress can persist at specific levels of Ca2+ in the root zone and that the Ca2+ level required for growth under heat stress exceeds that required for growth under normal temperatures. We also provide strong, initial evidence that the ability of high Ca2+ levels to mitigate heat stress effects results from shifts in meristematic activity. Total foliar mass and leaf area were essentially unaffected by Ca2+ level under control temperatures. Under heat stress, leaf area was reduced to about 5% of the control at 5 and 25 µM Ca but to only 70% of the control at 125 and 600 µM Ca. Likewise, total foliar mass was reduced under heat stress to about 30% of the control at 5 and 25 µM Ca but total foliar mass was greater under heat stress than control conditions at 125 and 600 µM Ca. This increase at higher Ca2+ concentrations was due primarily to axillary shoot growth. Anatomical studies of leaves grown under heat stress show that cell expansion was impaired by heat stress and this impairment was overcome by increasing root zone calcium levels. These results provide insight into the mechanism by which root zone Ca2+ may modulate plant response to heat stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]