Genomic approaches for the improvement of tuber quality traits in potato

Over the last 15 years, the potato genome group at the Max-Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research has constructed molecular linkage maps for the twelve potato chromosomes in eight different, diploid mapping populations. The molecular linkage maps made possible the genetic dissection of complex agronomic traits such as tuber starch content, sugar content after cold storage and yield into discrete quantitative trait loci (QTL). Cloned genes known to function in carbohydrate metabolism or transport (candidate genes) were also mapped, many of them as PCR-based markers. Co-localization between QTL for tuber quality traits and candidate gene loci was observed. The potato function map for tuber quality traits resulting from this work provides the model for further research such as association studies, which can ultimately lead to the improvement of tuber quality traits by haplotype-assisted breeding (HAB).