A new method for evaluation of potato tubers resistance to Phytophthora infestans

The loses of potato crop during its production and storage caused by Phytophthora infestans are significant. Long term utilization of potato cultivar might lead to erosion of foliage and tuber blight resistance. Breeding of new cultivars resistant to P. infestans in foliage and tuber is a solution for late blight control. Wild potato species are known as a rich source of resistance in foliage and tubers. It is important to establish proper evaluation methods for the introgression of new sources of resistance into cultivars breeding. Tubers of wild species are often of a small size and an application of methods used in screening of cultivated breeding material are not adequate for testing them. The proposed method of artificial inoculation of decapitated tubers with P. infestans and of evaluation of their infection seems to be better adapted to the assessment of wild potato species.