NRSP006: The US Potato Genebank: Acquisition, Classification, Preservation, Evaluation and Distribution of Potato (Solanum) Germplasm
Statement of Issues and Justification
Prerequisite Criteria: Mission
A. PREREQUISITE JUSTIFICATION AND STATEMENT OF ISSUES:A. 1. How is NRSP6 service consistent with the NRSP research support mission?
a. NRSP6 is the only practical source of potato germplasm for US researchers and breeders:
NRSP6 is designated the sole official NPGS project filling the role of working potato genebank for the US. A good way to understand the importance of NRSP6 is to imagine the situation if no genebank was present for an individual researcher wanting to use exotic potato relatives. He would first need to study taxonomic boundaries to understand his material and how it related to cultivars. He would need to determine breeding system, requirements for growth, and interspecific crossing. If it did not exist in the US or he could not find or obtain it from a fellow US researcher, he would need to organize an expedition to Latin America. Since potato is a "prohibited" plant for import, he would have to negotiate APHIS quarantine and wait one or two years. When finally in hand, would he propagate the germplasm disease-free, and advertise it for sharing with all potato researchers worldwide? NRSP6 does and coordinates all these things for the potato research community, avoiding the confusion, inefficiency and costs associated with duplication of these efforts by many individuals.
b. NRSP6 provides enabling technologies and materials.
1. Germplasm stocks. As described above, providing the germplasm itself enables advances in potato research and breeding. In the past project term NRSP6 has met this need by freely and promptly distributing materials and doing the associated work that supports these distributions. Accomplishments for past project term are detailed and quantified in Appendix A in attached file.
2. Germplasm data. NRSP6 provides users with a central source of current germplasm information: What is available in US and globally, taxonomic relationships, natural origin, characterization and evaluation data with respect to useful traits. To do this NRSP6 must also develop and maintain acquisition; classification; seed increase, inventory, disease status and distribution data. Accomplishments for past project term are detailed and quantified in Appendix B in attached file).
3. R&D for best techniques and tools for germplasm collecting, preservation, and evaluation. Diversity is the goal, but while the scope of potential diversity we could collect and keep is virtually unlimited, genebank funding is not. Thus, R&D that characterizes diversity richness and enables the most efficient techniques for collecting and preservation is of great importance for our own genebank and others worldwide. NRSP6 has become the world leader in developing such information and tools by examining specific practical questions with DNA markers, often using materials from collecting expeditions organized and conducted by genebank staff. In the past project term, NRSP6 has devised techniques for germplasm handling like optimal seed germination, and plant care, as well as discovery, characterization, publication and distribution of novel useful mutants such as genetic stocks, hormone deficient mutants, absolute sterile floral development mutants, inbred lines, interspecific hybrid bridging stocks, and extreme tuber dormancy standards. Accomplishments for past project term are detailed and quantified in Appendix C in attached file.
4. Custom materials for germplasm evaluation. It would not be appropriate for genebank staff to specialize in any one evaluation discipline. Instead, genebank staff expertise in germplasm genetics and handling is used to devise studies, then select and prepare materials for testing in partnership with various extramural scientists with the specific expertise and infrastructure for generating the data. Accomplishments for past project term are detailed and quantified in Appendix D in attached file. 5. A platform to leverage associated USDA, Wisconsin, Intergenebank and Grant support. The genebanks federal component is linked with USDA/ARS Vegetable Crops Research Unit scientists who contribute potato classification (D. Spooner), pathology (D. Halterman), physiology (P. Bethke) and germplasm evaluation and enhancement (S. Jansky). The genebanks Wisconsin component also supports significant contributions of the UW potato breeding and research (J. Palta) programs. Germplasm responsibilities are shared through partnerships with potato genebanks in other countries. D. Spooner developed collaboration with VIR scientists in Russia, resulting in important progress in taxonomy and characterization of germplasm. Genebank staff also initiated cooperative work in Peru with CIP to create and characterize frost tolerant hybrids using exotic germplasm, germplasm responsive to calcium fertilization (resulting in up to 60% yield increases to primitive farmers), to examine best collecting methods, and to examine the effects of agrichemicals on wild potato populations. Accomplishments for the past project term are detailed and quantified in Appendix E in attached file.
Prerequisite Criteria: How does this NRSP pertain as a national issue?
A. 2. How does NRSP6 pertain as a national issue?NRSP6 is an important national project because there is widespread relevance, need and use of potato germplasm, and, the genetic improvement of potato as a food has great potential to bring broad-based and significant national health and economic benefits.
a. Widespread relevance, need and use of potato germplasm. Potato is the most widely grown and consumed vegetable in the US and world, being among the most palatable and versatile of foods. World production is growing at about 4% per year, more than that of rice, wheat or corn. Potato accounts for 28% of all vegetable consumption in the US. About 70% of the crop is processed at great economic added value. A production value in the US is over $3B, with values for states shown in Appendix F.
Exotic germplasm has great genetic impact and opportunities. More exotic germplasm is available and used for potato than for any other major crop. Over 70% of potato varieties grown in the US have germplasm in their pedigrees from the genebank, and all varieties released in the past five years do. Appendix G details some of the past breeding accomplishments. Some estimates have been made of the economic return from germplasm utilization. About 50% of the four-fold advance in potato yields have been due to genetic improvement and about 1% of annual value of all crops may be credited to exotic germplasm. Pro-rated, this is a total of $10-25 million per year for potatoes in the USA. It would be a tragedy to let the flow of NRSP6 germplasm to breeding efforts dwindle because: 1) To see the benefit of NRSP6 germplasm in new, conventionally-bred cultivars 10-15 years from now, we must continue to put it in the pipeline now, and 2) Since we will soon be able to rapidly identify valuable genes in exotic potato and efficiently move them into popular existing cultivars already having consumer acceptance, the discovery and characterization of NPSP6 traits/genes is an investment with a payoff that is poised to mature with a many-fold increased return.
Numerous germplasm users. Not all states have extensive direct involvement in potato research or breeding, and not all states have large potato crop acreages. Some states, particularly those of the NCR do more of the type of broad, preliminary screening research that uses large number of germplasm items from the genebank. But all regions and many foreign countries are actively using NRSP6 stocks (see Appendix A). The benefits of NRSP6 activities by potato states by no means stay within their borders. Private breeding companies like Frito-Lay and Simplot are heavy users of NRPS6 germplasm and are involved in potato crop management and production, processing, and sales in all regions (Appendix G in attached file). Every state has a significant and direct involvement in marketing, transportation and consumption of potato as a major part of the diet of its population. Scientists in every state benefit from advance of knowledge published by researchers using NRSP6 germplasm (Appendix B in attached file lists 96 publications by NRSP6 staff in the past 5 years, and another 553 by cooperators are listed on the NRSP6 website).
b. The genetic improvement of potato as a food has unmatched potential to bring broad-based and significant national health and economic benefits. Two thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, costing society an estimated $147B per year, with associated diabetes costs (medical treatment and lost work time) of over $174B per year. Increased potassium intake would prevent an estimated 100,000 annual deaths due to sodium-induced high blood pressure, not to mention mitigate non-lethal strokes that are the leading cause of chronic, severe disability. Cancer has surpassed heart disease as the leading cause of deaths of all individuals except the very old, at an annual estimated cost to society of $210B. Aging baby-boomers are expected to exacerbate these already severe challenges to national health and insurance costs. We are spending nearly 20% of GDP on healthcare costs, a 4-fold increase in just a couple of generations. Because potato is the most highly and regularly consumed US vegetable, NRSP6 has opportunity to enable significant contributions toward reducing these problems.
In the current project term, we found plants in one species with levels of antioxidant much higher than any previously tested in common potato. Similarly, extracts of another potato species were shown to significantly inhibit the growth of colon and prostate cancer cells. We discovered anti-cancer alkaloids in a new, breeding-friendly species. We are pursuing broad screening for anti-appetite chemicals to address obesity, tuber potassium to lower blood pressure, and pH to potentially reduce glycaemic index and acrylamide. Most of these studies were initiated by NRSP6 staff who produced custom materials for testing by cooperators (see Appendix D in attached file).
Evaluation efforts in the past project term have moved toward an emphasis on nutritional traits and other factors that enhance desirability at the consumer level. The new project will continue this course, pursuing improvement of potato as a food, thereby increasing relevance to all states with potato consumers, not just the predominant potato breeding and growing states.
Rationale: Priority Established by ESCOP/ESS
B. RATIONALE FOR NRSP6:B. 1. Relationship to Priorities Established by ESCOP (Science Roadmap)
Challenge 1. We can develop new and more competitive crop products and new uses for diverse crops and novel plant species. This is the heart of what NRSP6 aims to promote. Genetic diversity of the exotics at NRSP6 represents the potential diversity of improvements in productivity, quality and resource use efficiency realized in new cultivars.
Challenge 3 . We can lessen the risks of local and global climatic change on food, fiber, and fuel production. Potato is cultivated across a broader range of latitudes than any other major crop. Thus, the effects of climate change could be different in different growing regions, and require the screening for multiple new traits in exotic germplasm which can be incorporated into the crop. Potatoes also exist in nature in a great diversity of ecological niches, so the impact of climate change on in situ genetic diversity may be variable and call for especially close monitoring of how diversity in the genebank represents that which exists in nature. For example, changes in natural selection pressures may also implicate the need for re-collecting done by genebank staff.
Challenge 4 . We can provide the information and knowledge needed to further improve environmental stewardship Research supported by NRSP6 will continue to find ways to make a crop that is more efficient at using fertilizer and water inputs and can naturally resist pests and diseases. That means less impact on the environment through less production and use of pesticides.
Challenge 5 . We can improve the economic return to agricultural producers. This can be achieved through lower input costs keeping all other factors steady. Or, quality can improve to support higher prices at the same market share. Or, yield can improve with expansion of both potatos unit value and market share so current prices are not depressed due to overproduction. As described in detail above, the evaluation function of the new project will be geared toward nutritional and other consumer-impact traits that will increase demand for potato, thus increasing profitability for farmers and better health for consumers. The optimal scheme for the potato crop is to use germplasm to make gains in all three areas: less input costs, higher yield per area of land, and higher quality. Other initiatives that will contribute to these general goals are increasing net yield by reducing storage losses, and capitalizing on virtual demand by removing the physiological limits to potato production due to the climate, diseases and pests.
Challenge 6 . We can strengthen our communities and families. NRSP6 can have an impact on primitive farmers in developing countries who could improve their standard of living and maintain their culture because germplasm inputs gave them a more marketable and nutritious crop (by increasing frost tolerance for high altitude farmers, for example). Food security in developing countries often has a favorable influence on political stability, which reduces the money US citizens must spend to maintain international relations and foreign aid. A healthy populace can also have a higher standard of living due to more productivity and less need to spend the profits from that productivity on insurance, medical care and government intervention programs.
Challenge 7. We can ensure improved food safety and health through agricultural and food systems. As already mentioned, improved potato has outstanding potential to have a significant health and nutrition impact on a population basis because it already has a regular, high level of consumption across all demographic categories in the US. Compare, for example, to blueberries which have famous levels of antioxidants per serving, but are very expensive, and are eaten only in small quantities and irregularly. Potato has had obvious appealit is relatively cheap, good-tasting in many forms, and filling. Because 1.5 M acres of potato are cultivated in North America and 47.7 M worldwide, reducing the need for chemical inputs in the potato crop through genetic means could significantly reduce the exposure at all levels at which agrichemical use now poses a health risk (manufacture, transport, storage, grower, consumer). Genetic improvements via NRSP6 germplasm are resulting in a more productive, versatile, profitable, nutritious and environmentally safe potato crop.
Rationale: Relevance to stakeholders
B. 2. Relevance to stakeholders:NRSP6 stakeholders are researchers, breeders, those who use their product (producers), food suppliers, and, ultimately, consumers. Here are the reasons why there is a continued need and relevance of NRSP6 service to stakeholders, and why US scientists (and foreign ones) will depend on NRSP6 germplasm more in the future. See attachement APPENDIX J for details.
1) No other public or private programs have come forward to provide the unique services of NRSP6. Sixty years of public support of this genebank has resulted in the worlds premier collection of over 5,000 items of germplasm for the worlds most important non-cereal crop. At least 45% of these are unique. 2) The need for potato research and breeding is increasing. Development of technology has enhanced the quantity and impact of research and publications involving germplasm. There are more private breeders, more seedlings grown for yearly selection, more sophisticated facets of evaluation, and more varieties being released. There is increasing challenge to gather, format and distribute information with the greater speed and detail made possible with advances in data management technology.
3) Acquisition of germplasm from foreign genebanks or directly from the wild is becoming even less practical for US researchers. Other genebanks have faced financial problems or reorganization which has reduced their capacity to maintain availability of germplasm and services. Countries with native potato germplasm to share are doing so less freely due to policies reflecting feelings of national ownership and problematic expectations of benefit sharing that have delayed access from Latin America since 2000. So, dependence on raw materials we have in-country at NRSP6 is greater than ever.
4) Potato is listed as "prohibited" by APHIS, making quarantine testing of all imports for one-two years necessary, at an estimated cost of $4,100 per item. To avoid the wasted time and expense of having quarantine repeatedly process the same material for multiple importers, we need the coordination, information and preservation provided by NRSP6.
5) We need to reduce agrichemical inputs that are costly and may threaten the health of humans and the environment. So, for farmers and consumers, genetic solutions through germplasm are increasingly important.
6) Physiological constraints such as a need for cold tolerance (applied especially to the mountain growing regions like the Andes but everywhere subject to the global cycle of wider weather fluctuations), heat and CO2 (global warming), water and fertilizer use efficiency (loss of water rights, phosphates in lakes, nitrates in groundwater, energy costs for pumping water and making fertilizer) have increased, as well as a general need to increase the adapted range of potato to production areas where it would increase food security and benefit the world economy. All these point to an increasing need for the "new blood" available in NRSP6 exotic germplasm.
7) Technology has increased the possibilities for germplasm use making it more valuable. The prospects of easily identifying and mining genes from exotic germplasm (reducing the long and expensive process of conventional breeding) makes the service of NRSP6 even more valuable to stakeholders.
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