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Verticillium infections in potatoes affect all
the plant parts and reduce the yield potential of the crop. In addition,
tuber infections produce a browning ring at the stolon end of the tuber,
which reduces the quality and market value of the product. This happens
especially in products destined for frying and chip processing.
Verticillium-infected tubers result in dark brown fries and chips and are
unacceptable to consumers. In both potato and sunflower, Verticillium
generally leads to a complete wilt of the plant towards the end of the
season. The earliness and severity of infections in sunflower determine the
level of reduction in yield, oil content and the market value. The impact
of this disease is more dramatic in confection hybrids which are more
susceptible, and where the reduction in seed size and the poor quality seed
are detrimental to the market value of confection sunflower.
Identification of which species of Verticillium
causes the major damage on either crops, and understanding the cross
pathogenicity of these two species and perhaps different isolates (races) of
these species between sunflowers and potatoes will be an important milestone
in screening for resistance and the identification of resistant cultivars
and breeding lines in both crops.
Dr. Khalid Rashid of the Morden Research
Station, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Mel Reimer, National Sunflower
Association of Canada are co-applicants of this project.
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