Male fertility of varieties of potato whith different cytoplasma type

Abstract

The predominance of varieties and parental lines having low male fertility is a characteristic feature of potatoes as a culture with asexual reproduction. The growth of the share of male sterile varieties has been recently noticed as a result of use in breeding interspecific hybrids with sterile-type cytoplasm. It leads to narrowing the genetic basis of modern potato varieties since it limits the choice of pollinators for breeding. The objectives of this research were to assess male fertility characters of 130 potato varieties from the collection of the Institute of Genetics and Cytology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and identify their cytoplasm type using the set of DNA markers. The obtained results are intended for selection of pollinators for conventional breeding of potato, as well as of varieties for production of dihaploids with fertile-type cytoplasm suitable for hybrid breeding at the diploid level. It was revealed that the accessions with T- and D-type cytoplasm prevailed in the collection (46.0 and 35.4 %, respectively), the share of the accessions with W-type cytoplasm was 18.5 %. Most of the effective pollinators were selected among the varieties having T/β-type cytoplasm (44.6 %). The varieties Aksamit, Briz, Dubrava, Uladar, Alwara, Ausonia, Carlita, Fresco, Labadia, Latona, Liu, Lyra, Quarta, Satina, Sissi with this cytoplasm type were selected as most promising for our purposes according to the combination of breeding characters. The potato varieties with D/α-type cytoplasm were present in the collection under study. Approximately one third (32.6 %) was able to produce functionally fertile pollen (PFF), however the level of its fertility was as a rule low. Nevertheless, the varieties Bashkirski, Delfin, Olga and Ponto formed pollen with PFF suitable to guarantee seed production in crosses. Most of the studied varieties with W/α-, W/β-, and W/γ-type cytoplasm were male sterile. The varieties Atlant and Vesna Belaya were revealed among them that were able to produce functionally fertile pollen.