LWV24033 CHIPS: Combating Harmfull Insects in Potato with Sustainable resistance (TS-02-227-040)

Insect infestations present major challenges for potato cultivation, not only by directly damaging plants through feeding but also by spreading viral diseases. Key threats include the Colorado potato beetle and the transmission of Potato Leafroll Virus (PLRV) and Potato Virus Y by the aphid Myzus persicae. With the phasing out of chemical pesticides, there is an urgent need for alternative solutions, such as developing insect-resistant potato varieties. While cultivated potatoes have limited resistance to insects, wild potato relatives display promising traits. Some wild accessions possess insect-repelling tetraose glycoalkaloids or glandular trichomes, which can trap insects. At the Plant Breeding group at Wageningen University & Research, more than 300 wild potato accessions have been screened for resistance to three major insect pests: Colorado potato beetle, aphids, and whiteflies. Numerous accessions were found to be resistant to Colorado potato beetle, with some also showing resistance to aphids and whiteflies. In addition to the known mechanisms, such as tetraose glycoalkaloids and glandular trichomes, several of these accessions possess novel, yet unidentified, resistance traits against the Colorado potato beetle and aphids. This project seeks to map and characterize these newly discovered resistance mechanisms using the identified sources and the populations that have been developed. Our research will focus on studying resistance-conferring metabolites, trichomes, and their effects on different insect life stages. Finally, field studies and phenotyping assays with insect biotypes collected from fields in Europe will be conducted to predict and ensure durable resistance in the field.