GBS analysis of a Solanum population segregating for nematode resistance

The potato cyst nematode Globodera pallida is a major agricultural pest that is responsible for significant potato yield losses on a global scale. The most effective and sustainable strategy to reduce damage caused by G. pallida is to cultivate nematode-resistant potato varieties. These varieties have been developed mainly by introgressing resistance genes from wild potato species. However, intensive reliance on limited and widely utilised sources of resistance against the predominant G. pallida pathotypes 2 and 3 (Pa2/3) has led to the emergence of virulent nematode populations that can overcome these defences. To address this issue, we undertook a search for novel sources of resistance against this new virulent G. pallida type, Emsland, within wild Solanum species and identified several promising candidates. A resistant accession was characterised with resistance loci mapped via genotyping-by-sequencing in a biparental progeny.