Conservation, evaluation and use in breeding of potato genetic diversity at the NI Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry (VIR)

The Potato Collection of the N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry is one of the biggest in the world. It totals about 9000 accessions including 3000 accessions of wild and 3500 of cultivated species, 2100 of bred varieties, 400 of interspecific hybrids and dihaploids. Accessions of cultivated species, hybrid clones and bred varieties are preserved in vitro. One hundred potato cultivars stored under in vitro conditions have been genotyped with 10 SSR primers. The initial material with a complex of valuable traits including resistance to fungal, viral, bacterial diseases and pests has a special importance for modern breeding programs. The main source of genes that control resistance to diseases and pests are the wild and cultivated species. Complex evaluation of hundreds of samples is carried out annually at VIR and its experimental stations. As a result, valuable material for breeding has been selected. Crossability of wild potato species belonging to the series Acaulia Juz. Glabrescentia Buk., Commersoniona Buk., Demissa Buk., Longipedicellata Buk., Simpliciora Buk., Megistacroloba Card. et Hawk., Transaequatorialia Buk. (=Tuberosa wild Hawkes, = Bukasoviona Gorbat.) with species of other series and bred cultivars has been investigated recently. The first generation of hybrids and their subsequent backcrosses and synthetic crossings have been obtained. Germplasm from the VIR collection is permanently requested and widely used by breeders as initial material for creating new varieties.