Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

EVALUATION OF LOCAL WEST BENGAL POTATO CULTIVARS FORLATE BLIGHT RESISTANCE AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THEGENE THAT CONFERS RESISTANCE

B.J. Reddy, Subir Dutta, Sahanob Nath, Sanghamitra Rout, Sumita Nag,Moumita Chakroborty, Satyajit Hembram and Rupsanatan Mandal

Abstract

A total of 14 local potato cultivars were screened against late blight resistance under field conditions withno artificial inoculation. All the cultivars were genotyped with three Microsatellite markers (SSRs) linkedto the genes governing late blight resistance viz., Rpi - blb1, Rpi - bt1, and R3a. The aim of the investigationwas to identify late blight resistant cultivars from some local potato cultivars so that these resistant cultivarscan be utilized in genetic enhancement programs as resistant varieties are an important component ofdisease management. Two cultivars namely, Deshi-1 and Deshi-2 had moderate resistance towards the lateblight in field condition. The rest of the twelve cultivars were expressed susceptible reactions. Throughgenotyping a late blight resistant gene was identified and characterized in those cultivars showing resistantdisease reaction as they expressed band for the R3a gene based primer.