NEW LITHUANIAN POTATO VARIETIES AND THEIR RESISTANCE TO PHYTOPHTHORA INFESTANS (MONT.) DE BARY

Almantas Razukas, Rita Asakaviciute, Audrius Kacergius

Abstract: Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) breeding and seed production in Lithuania is performed at Voke Branch of Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture. It was started in 1958. The main potato breeding object is to produce very early potato cultivars resistant to the nematodes and to the main potato diseases. As the result of breeding work eleven cultivars were produced: ‘Mėta‘, ‘Vilnia‘, ‘VB Aista‘, ‘Nida‘, ‘Mirta‘, ‘Goda‘, ‘VB Venta‘, ‘Vokė‘, ‘VB Liepa‘, ‘Vaiva‘ and ‘VB Rasa‘. The aim of the present work was to ascertain the resistance of Lithuanian potato varieties to the agent of potato blight Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary. The results have shown that potato varieties of different maturation time are unequally infected with potato blight. The disease spreading was more intense in early potato varieties, while in maincrop varieties the disease spreading was less intense. Other advantages - good yield, suitability for processing industry, excellent cookery qualities, good taste or attractive shape were the main items also in producing of Lithuanian potato cultivars.

Keywords: breeding; Phytophthora infestans; potatoes

Date published: 2017-03-01