Award details

13 ERA-CAPS Future-proofing potato: Mechanisms and markers for global-warming tolerant ideotypes

Reference	BB/M004899/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Lesley Torrance
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	University of St Andrews
Department	Biology
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	356,126
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	02/06/2014
End date	01/06/2017
Duration	36 months

Abstract

In this proposal, an integrated approach will be used by combining physiology, genetics, genomics, metabolomics and natural variation studies to analyze the impact of elevated temperatures on (1) sink-source relations of potato plants, (2) potato tuber development, (3) starch accumulation and tuber quality and (4) tuber dormancy. To achieve these aims both unbiased and targeted approaches will be employed. The unbiased approaches include the elucidation of phenotypic, biochemical and molecular responses to varying environmental conditions of selected potato genotypes (diploid populations, and a panel of tetraploid varieties and GMPs). Environmental conditions will include elevated and ambient temperatures in combination with different day lengths and light intensities. The plants will be phenotyped with respect to assimilate allocation, tuberisation, tuber yield, quality and dormancy. The genetic approach aims at identifying polymorphisms of candidate genes from diploid populations exhibiting a wide response to elevated temperatures. This will lead to the identification of genes and allelic variants that confer heat tolerance. The targeted approach is based on recent breakthroughs of the partners, which show that two linked regulators (StCDF_V and StSP6A) play a central role in the initiation of tuberisation. Our unpublished work suggests that StSP6A over-expression confers heat tolerance in transgenic potato plants. Therefore, the role of these regulators will be investigated in more detail in order to identify key components of the multiple signal transduction pathway(s). In addition levels of phytohormones known to regulate tuber initiation and dormancy will be manipulated and their impact on heat tolerance will be investigated.

Summary

Potato is the third most important food crop in the world after rice and wheat. Because of its widely distributed cultivation and high yields, it is considered a critical species in terms of food security in face of a growing world population. However, potato is particularly vulnerable to high temperature during various stages of its life cycle. Elevated temperatures strongly suppress tuberisation, negatively affect storage and shelf life of tubers and reduce fitness of seed potatoes. Breeding new heat-stress tolerant cultivars is an urgent need for sustainable increases in potato production, given the negative impact of the rises in temperature due to global warming. In this proposal, an integrated approach will be used by combining physiology, genetics, genomics, metabolomics and natural variation studies to analyze the impact of elevated temperatures on (1) sink-source relations of potato plants, (2) potato tuber development, (3) starch accumulation and tuber quality and (4) tuber dormancy. The outcomes of the project will be new knowledge of potato genes and their function that can be used in breeding programmes to increase yields in warmer climates.

Impact Summary

While the biological questions target the molecular mechanisms underlying the adverse effects of high temperature on potato crop productivity, we expect that the advance in knowledge of these mechanisms to have concrete economic and thus societal impacts. The outcomes of this project will be new knowledge on genes and alleles that can be used in breeding programmes to increase tuber yield under elevated temperatures. The production of EU seed potatoes that will perform well under higher temperatures will enhance exports to warmer climates and future-proof the EU potato industry against expected increases in EU summer temperatures. The plant breeding sector is essential to ensure that the genetic advances we shall make, deliver their full benefits to society. The involvement of several key European breeding companies, prepared to participate actively in this project, will ensure translation of scientific results to commercial production. It is envisaged that the demand for heat resistant potatoes will intensify with global warming. The value of a heat-tolerant cultivar is difficult to predict, but with many potato-growing regions expected to suffer yield decreases of up to 25% due to heat stress alone, the value of this trait will be significant. In the wider context of a globalised world economy, improved human nutrition anywhere in the world will improve overall global food security and thereby have a benefit in the EU and beyond.

Committee	Research Committee B (Plants, microbes, food & sustainability)
Research Topics	Crop Science, Plant Science
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	ERA-NET on Coordinating Action in Plant Sciences (ERA-CAPS) [2013-2014]
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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