dhr. Sanwen Huang : Control of Late Blight in Potato using Resistance Genes


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31 Jan 2005 16:00

Unit: Wageningen University

Location: Aula (gebouw 362), Gen. Foulkesweg 1, Wageningen

Promotor: prof.dr.ir. E. Jacobsen (Plant Breeding)prof.dr. R.G.F. Visser (Plant Breeding (Genetical Variation and Reproduction))

Co Promotor: dr.ir. V.G.A.A. Vleeshouwers

Phytophthora infestans causes the late blight disease, the No. 1 limiting factor of potato production worldwide. The most environmental-friendly way of disease management is using host resistance (R) genes, but these have not provided satisfactory protection under the current scheme of R gene deployment. The research described in this thesis is focused on the R3 locus from the wild species Solanum demissum. The R3 resistance appeared to be conferred by two functionally distinct genes, R3a and R3b, which are closely linked. R3a was isolated using comparative genomics. On the R3 locus multiple allelism was discovered, which is arguably a natural mechanism to suppress late blight epidemics in wild populations of S. demissum. This mechanism can be mimicked in commercial potato production by applying R gene polyculture, a mixture of cultivars that differ only by R genes, via the genetically modified organism technique. This should be the future strategy of potato late blight control.

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