Michigan Potato Winter Conference
Dihaploid potato clones (right table) derived from varieties and advanced breeding lines. These clones are parents such as used in the MSU diploid advanced breeding lines (left table).
There was good attendance at the educational breakout sessions “Potato University” held at the Michigan Potato Industry Winter Conference February 2-4, 2022 in Grand Rapids, MI. Dave Douches and members of the Michigan State University Potato Breeding and Genetics Program discussed diploid potato breeding background, advantages, opportunities, and challenges. The display included tubers of dihaploids (diploids derived tetraploid varieties), diploid plants demonstrating disease and insect traits from wild species, and advanced MSU diploid breeding lines. Participants were encouraged to guess which tubers were from diploid or tetraploid clones (all but three were diploid!). It was a great example to demonstrate diploid breeding lines with agronimacally acceptable tuber size, shape and yield (nearly 40 diploid breeding lines yielded greater than both Atlantic and Lamoka tetraploid check varieties in our replicated 2021 field trial). There were many excellent questions from growers and industry participants.
Dave Douches and Thilani Jayakody help set up for the MSU Diploid Breeding session at the MPIC Winter Potato Conference “Potato University.” Can you guess which tubers (left table) are diploid or tetrapoloid? (Hint, only three are tetraploid)!