Pollen‐mediated gene flow from a commercial potato cultivar to the wild relative S. chacoense Bitter under experimental field conditions in Argentina

The common potato, Solanum tuberosum ssp. tuberosum (tbr, 2n = 4x = 48; 4EBN), has many closely related wild tuber‐bearing species. Around 28 to 35 of them spontaneously grow in Argentina overlapping, in some areas, with the crop and/or experimental transgenic potatoes. Although it is well proven that hybridization barriers in potatoes can be incomplete, information on gene flow between cultivated and wild germplasm is scarce. Thus, a gene flow field experiment with a circular array was set up in Balcarce, Argentina, in 2009, and evaluated over two seasons. The tetraploid tbr cultivar Huinkul MAG and one compatible cloned genotype of the related wild potato S. chacoense Bitter (chc, 2n = 2x = 24; 2EBN), which produced 2n eggs, were used, respectively, as pollen donor and receptor. Berries with hybrid seeds – as revealed by ploidy and RAPD profiles – were obtained in one season, at 30 m from the pollen donor. These results reinforce others previously obtained with the same pollen donor and a male sterile tbr cultivar in a similar array, pointing out to the need of increasing isolation distances in areas of overlap between cultivated and wild potato germplasm to prevent or minimize undesirable pollen‐mediated gene flow.EEA BalcarceFil: Capurro, Mauricio Antonio. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad Ciencias Agrarias-Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Camadro, Elsa Lucila. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad Ciencias Agrarias-Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Masuelli, Ricardo Williams. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Biología Agrícola de Mendoza. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Biología Agrícola de Mendoza; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria La Consulta; Argentin

Gene Flow between Potato Cultivars under Experimental Field Conditions in Argentina

Wild and cultivated potatoes form a polyploid series with 2n = 2x to 2n = 6x (x = 12). In nature, they are separated by external and/or internal hybridization barriers that, when incomplete, provide opportunities for gene flow and introgression. Isolation distances estimated in one environment are not necessary extrapolable. As a starting point for pollen-mediated gene flow risk assessment in potatoes, an experiment was set up in the field in one of the major potato growing area in Argentina, with two pollen-pistil compatible tetraploid commercial cultivars with differential molecular marker patterns. The field design consisted of a 10 × 10 m central square with the pollen donor, surrounded by circles with a male sterile pollen recipient, set every 10 m up to 40 m. The crop was managed as a perennial, and data were recorded over 2 years. Seeded berries were obtained in both years at 30 and 40 m away from the center; all of them contained hybrid seeds as revealed by electrophoretic profiles. We consider that a minimal required isolation distance of 100 m or more would be more suitable for preventing undesirable gene flow in the area.Fil: Capurro, Mauricio Antonio. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: Camadro, Elsa Lucila. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Masuelli, Ricardo Williams. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Mendoza-San Juan. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria La Consulta; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentin