Potato (Solanum tuberosum)

Bunches of Potatoes Photo Courtesy of http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Potatoes.jpg
Potato Plant Photo Courtesy of http://persoon.si.edu/PlantImages/

Disease Resistances

Three Types of Potatoes Photo by  Kenneth A. Wilson      There are many organisms that feed on potatoes (I know I personally love them!) as you found out on the Diseases and Pests page.  However, researchers at Cornell University have bred several new disease-resistant potatoes to be used in Russia where there are aggressive strains of potato blight that are wreaking havoc on small farms all across the nation. 

 

      o Reba a mid-season variety that was bred for both chipping and table stock. It is resistant to the golden nematode and quite resistant to early blight, verticillium wilt, and scab.

      o Salem is a mid-season potato with high-yielding ability and bred for table stock. It is resistant to the golden nematode and scab.

      o Keuka Gold is a yellow-flesh potato that is good for boiling, flavor, and high yields. It is resistant to scab and golden nematodes.

      o Eva is a bright-white-skin potato and good for boiling. It is resistant to the mosaic virus, golden nematode, and scab. It can also be stored for a long time.

      o Pike is a round potato good for making potato chips. It is resistant to golden nematode and scab.

      o New York 128 is a white, round potato used for chipping. It is resistant to the golden nematode and late blight.

 

      Each potato variety has resistances to different nematodes, fungi, and other parasites.  For a full list of all of the potato varieties registered in Canada (most of which are also used in the U.S.), and what each individual variety is resistant to, visit http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/potpom/var/indexe.shtml