Keynote speakers of EAPR2011
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Prof. Carole Beaulieu (confirmed)
University of Sherbrooke, Canada
Title: Physiological and genetics determinants of Streptomyces scabies pathogenicity
Key contents: Streptomyces scabies is the main causal agent of common scab, a disease characterized by corky lesions on potato tubers and several root crops. It was shown that thaxtomin A, a phytotoxin produced by the pathogen is essential for pathogenicity. The genes responsible for thaxtomin biosynthesis are located on a large pathogenicity island in the bacterial genome. The mechanism of action of this toxin has yet to be elucidated, but it was shown that thaxtomin A inhibited cellulose synthesis. Also other recent data on pathogenesis of this scab pathogen will be discussed.
Dr. Merideth Bonierbale (confirmed)
International Potato Center, Peru
Title: Using and ustaining potato biodiversity for health and income generation
Key contents: Micronutrient deficiency is a widespread health problem in the developing world. With HarvestPlus, CIP has undertaken biofortification of potato as a food-based strategy to combat micronutrient malnutrition, targeting Fe, Zn and ascorbic acid, as a promoter of mineral bioavailability. The identification of novel processed products with added value has heightened awareness of biodiversity and stimulated investment in the production and marketing of native potatoes known until recently primarily as subsistence crops.
Dr. Charles Brown (confirmed)
USDA/ARS, Prosser, WA, USA
Title: The role of traditional potato breeding in scientific potato improvement
Key contents: Sexually based breeding programs still provide the core of generation of genetic variation from varieties are selected and commercialized. Molecular markers theoretically provide resource saving shortcuts. Applications of genome based knowledge are being developed. However, the elements of a field and greenhouse based evaluation of clonally propagated breeding lines still are surprisingly necessary if for no other reason than that growers’ practices and the biotic and abiotic environment are changing and responsive to new genetic features of potato. The aspects of old and new traditional breeding technology will be evaluated and placed in the context of a rapidly shifting technological landscape.
Dr. Thomas Döring (confirmed)
The Organic Research Centre, United Kingdom
Title: Potential and limitations of plant virus epidemiology: lessons from the Potato virus Y pathosystem
Key contents: Plant disease epidemiology provides powerful tools for identifying key factors in plant virus epidemics. Successful epidemiological approaches help to decide on the most appropriate plant protection options. An example is the identification of PVY vectors in a high grade seed potato production area in Northern Finland through epidemiological modelling. However, pathosystems are not always as straightforward as this case. In fact, the notorious complexity of plant virus pathosystems makes them often impenetrable even for advanced epidemiological models. A complementary approach is therefore needed that acknowledges the indeterministic nature of complex and evolving pathosystems. Such an approach is the use of diversity, employing functionally complementary elements that can jointly buffer against environmental stresses and changes.
Dr. Christiane Gebhardt (confirmed)
Max-Planck-Institute for Plant Breeding, Germany
Title: Molecular diagnostics for disease resistance and tuber quality traits: concept, achievements and perspectives
Key contents: Association genetics in advanced tetraploid varieties and breeding clones is an approach to develop diagnostic markers for breeding and to identify genes underlying complex traits. The concept of association genetics, recent results obtained at MPIPZ and future prospects will be reported.
Dr. Anton Haverkort (confirmed)
Wageningen UR, The Netherlands
Title: Agronomic options to reduce the carbon footprint of potato
Key contents: The potato industry increasingly is interested to know the impact the industry has on the use of land, water and energy and emission of carbon dioxide and biocides. Part of the CO2 imprint of the final product when it reaches the consumer can be attributed to the field production of potato. Unilever and Aberdeen University initiated a Cool Farm Tool that allows growers to calculate and adjust their CO2 cost of primary production. The potato specific version of the tool contains costs of irrigation, storage and sprout reduction. The approach is presented and the imprint of different production systems - table, organic, seed and starch potato - is illustrated.
Dr. Pim Lindhout (confirmed)
Solynta / Wageningen University, The Netherlands
Title: A new paradigm in potato breeding
Key contents: Recent progress to overcome inbreeding depression will be presented. This idea is has long been considered unrealistic as severe inbreeding depression and self-incompatibility in diploid germplasm has hitherto blocked the development of inbred lines. The introduction of the Sli gene, which inhibits self-incompatibility, into elite self-incompatible diploid material allowed us to develop inbred offspring with strongly reduced inbreeding depression. This provides the fundament for a novel F1 hybrid breeding system in potato. F1 hybrid potato breeding will lead to a paradigm shift as the consequences for breeding, propagation, farming, processing and consumption are unprecedented.
Dr. Ian Toth (confirmed)
Scottish Crop Research Institute, United Kingdom
Title: Current research on potato soft rot bacteria (Pectobacterium spp. and Dickeya spp.)
Key contents: Genomic approaches have led to new discoveries in areas such as pathogenesis, epidemiology and host resistance for the bacterial potato pathogens Pectobacterium and Dickeya. We are now applying these discoveries to practical solutions, including improved host resistance and the need for better weed control, and have used comparative genomics to develop new species-specific diagnostics.
Dr. William Wagoire (confirmed)
Buginyanya Agricultural Research and Development Institute, NARO, Uganda
Title: Current potato production and research & development efforts in Africa
Prof. Jari Valkonen (confirmed)
University of Helsinki, Finland
Title: Molecular arms’ race between viruses and potato plants
Key contents: Viruses have evolved various means of evade or suppress antiviral defense in their host plants. Potato plants, in turn, have evolved to recognize and suppress virus infections. Current knowledge of this “arms’ race”, as relevant to resistance breeding and virus diagnostics, will be discussed.
Prof. Kazuo Watanabe (confirmed)
University of Tsukuba, Japan
Title: Drought and salt stress tolerances in wild species and transgenic potatoes
Key contents: Wild species from dry habitats were evaluated for phenotypic and physiological reactions and examined for alternative abiotic stress responses using genomics approaches. Transgenic potatoes were studied for the transgene functions and also tested whether diversity of gene actions occurs with different stress tolerance inducing genes.
Dr. Steve Whisson (confirmed)
Scottish Crop Research Institute, United Kingdom
Title: Phytophthora infestans effectors in late blight disease development, and exploitation for disease control
Key contents: The development of 'omics resources and technologies for the late blight pathogen, Phytophthora infestans, is accelerating our discovery of the effector proteins that may trigger or suppress plant defences, and which may be essential for disease development. We are applying this knowledge to predict and identify more durable resistance to late blight, and identify potential targets for chemical control.
Prof. Richard Visser (confirmed)
Wageningen UR, The Netherlands
Title: Updates and outcomes from the Potato Genome Sequencing Project
Key contents: With the availability of the sequence new possibilities offer themselves to researchers in the potato field. Genome wide association studies are within reach and the quest for the determining alleles for different traits will enter a new phase. Having linking pins for most regions of the genome will put more emphasis on the accuracy and throughput level of phenotyping. In combination with the availability of transcript, protein and metabolite datasets this will give new leads for quality traits in potato as well as possibilities for predicting performance in different environments.
