Potato Genebank of the Universidad Austral de Chile (UACh) is an important gene bank in Chile. The accessions collected
all over the country possess high genetic diversity, present interesting agronomic and cooking traits, and show resistance to
biotic and abiotic stress. A particularly interesting subgroup of the gene bank includes the accessions collected in the South
of Chile, the Chilota Potato Genebank. The focus of this study is the identification of virus and nematode resistant genes in
potatoes (
Solanum tuberosum
L.), using the RYSC3 and YES3-3B molecular markers. The
Potato virus Y (PVY) resistance
genes
Ryadg and
Rysto were identified. Furthermore, the CP60 marker was used to assess the
Rx resistance gene that confers
resistance to
Potato virus X (PVX). In addition, the HC and GRO1-4 markers were utilized to identify the
GpaVvrn_QTL
and
Gro1-4, resistance genes of
Globodera pallida
and
Globodera rostochiensis
, respectively. Both
G. pallida and
G.
rostochiensis are Potato Cyst Nematodes (PCN). The plant material used in this study included leaves from 271 accessions
of the gene bank. These samples were collected in the field where natural pathogen pressure of potential viruses and
diseases exists. ELISA assays were run for field detection of PVY and PVX. However, there have been no previous reports
of nematode presence in the plant material. The results herein presented indicate presence of virus and nematode resistance
genes in accessions of the Chilota Potato Genebank. In terms of virus resistance, 99 accessions out of the 271 tested possess
the
Ryadg resistance gene and 17 accessions of these 271 tested have the
Rysto resistance gene. Also, 10 accessions showed
positive amplification of the
Rx1 resistant gene marker. As to nematode resistance, 99 accessions have possible resistance
to
G. pallida and 54 accessions show potential resistance to
G. rostochiensis as detected using the available molecular
markers.
