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TerraRossa (POR01PG20–12) is a mid-season specialty potato, released by Oregon State University, and is a product of the Northwest Potato Variety (Tri-State) Development Program. This cultivar is unique among commercially available potato cultivars in that plants produce small- to medium-sized smooth, oblong- to long-shaped tubers with red skin and red flesh. Total tuber yields of TerraRossa are similar to Dark Red Norland and less than Red La Soda. Average tuber size (136 g) is less than both of the comparison cultivars, reflecting inherent differences in tuber size distribution. TerraRossa tubers have total antioxidant levels higher than traditional white fresh varieties and comparable to the All Blue purple potato, known for its high antioxidant levels. Sensory evaluations of TerraRossa tubers indicated that it has good culinary attributes following boiling, baking, and microwaving. Potato chips made from TerraRossa tubers retained their unique red color, which represents a novelty in the chipping industry. TerraRossa could be a good candidate for the organic sector due to its tolerance to common scab (Streptomyces scabies) and tuber late blight (Phytophthora infestans) and its resistance to golden cyst nematode (Globodera rostochiensis). Due to its high yields, high chipping quality, good culinary properties, high antioxidant content and disease resistance, TerraRossa is a good candidate for opening new specialty type markets, adding diversity to the marketplace.

Yukon Nugget is a mid-season specialty potato with yellow flesh, yellow skin and distinct red eyes. Yukon Nugget was developed to provide the potato industry with an alternative to Yukon Gold. The overall tuber size profile of Yukon Nugget is smaller and more uniform than Yukon Gold and it typically produces an average of four more tubers per plant than Yukon Gold. Yukon Nugget tubers are ideal for boiling, baking, and microwaving, and have culinary and nutritional qualities generally similar to Yukon Gold. Yukon Nugget has extreme resistance to Potato Virus X due to presence of PVX resistance allele Rx1. It also has moderate resistance to powdery scab and tuber late blight. Yukon Nugget has less vascular and stem end discoloration and less hollow heart than Yukon Gold. Yukon Nugget is similar to Yukon Gold in terms of susceptibility to several major potato diseases, such as PVY, PLRV, and foliage late blight. It was released in 2013 by the Agricultural Experiment Stations of Oregon, Idaho and Washington and the USDA-ARS, and is a product of the Pacific Northwest (Tri-State) Potato Variety Development Program.

Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] seed stored in triple layer Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage (PICS) bags for eight months retained germination and seed integrity significantly better than seed stored in traditional gunny bags. PICS bags prevented major damage caused by bruchids (Callosobruchus maculatus F.), while grain stored in gunny bags suffered severe losses. The aflatoxin levels in stored seed were low and not significantly different between the two storage systems. The levels of O2 in PICS bags artificially infested with C. maculatus dropped rapidly during the first month of storage while the levels of CO2 increased. Even in absence of bruchids (noninfested seed) PICS bags preserved seed germination for extended periods of time better than gunny bags; possibly due to the higher and more stable relative humidity inside the PICS bags. Higher seed germination would result in improved plant stands in the field and subsequent higher yields and increased productivity. Thus, PICS bags have shown potential to positively impact the economy of pigeonpea farmers in the semi-arid tropics.

Purple Pelisse is a specialty ‘fingerling’ potato with purple skin and dark purple flesh. It has medium maturity and sets a large number of smooth, small, fingerling-shaped tubers. The tubers have medium specific gravity and high levels of antioxidants. This potato variety is mainly intended for the fresh market but it can also be used for processing; chips made from Purple Pelisse tubers retain their bright purple color and have a pleasant taste. Purple Pelisse is moderately resistant to common scab and potato virus Y and susceptible to most of the other common potato diseases. Purple Pelisse resulted from a cross between NDOP5847-1 and bulked pollen of red-fleshed potatoes. It was first selected from seedling tubers planted and grown at Madras, Oregon in 2001 and was subsequently evaluated for six additional years in public and industry trials throughout the western U.S, including Western Regional Red/Specialty Trials in 2006 and 2007. Purple Pelisse was officially released as a variety in 2009 by the Pacific Northwest (Tri-State) Potato Variety Development Program.

Fusarium wilt is an important disease of pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] and it can cause severe yield losses. Chemical control of this disease is difficult and expensive; therefore, cultivation of resistant varieties/hybrids is the most efficient strategy for enhancing the production. In the present study, by using a wilt susceptible cytoplasmic-nuclear male-sterile line and four wilt resistant fertility restorers, one dominant and one recessive gene with dominant suppressive epistatic effects were found responsible for controlling resistance to Fusarium wilt. Considering the annual losses and wide spread nature of wilt diseases in pigeonpea, it is imperative that all the inbred and hybrid cultivars have high level of resistance to this disease. The presence of dominant gene for resistance will increase the efficiency of breeding wilt resistant cultivars because it will yield greater proportion of resistant genotypes in segregating generations. In hybrid breeding also, the presence of dominant gene for wilt resistance will be an advantage. The transfer of this gene in female hybrid parents will ease the breeding of wilt resistant hybrids because this will allow the use of both wilt resistant as well as susceptible restorers in generating wilt resistant hybrid combinations.

To enhance the productivity of pigeonpea (Caja- nus cajan (L.) Millspaugh) a hybrid breeding technology, based on the cytoplasmic nuclear male-sterility (CMS) system and partial natural outcrossing, is currently been used. However, there are diffi culties to maintain genetic purity of the hybrids and their parents. The incorpo- ration of an easily identifi able morphological marker (naked eye polymorphism (NEP)) could be used to determine seed purity. The morpho- logical marker selected for this study, obcordate leaf, is not present in cultivated pigeonpea; it is inherited as a single recessive gene and can be observed soon after planting (approx. 6 wk). To incorporate the obcordate leaf shape into hybrid parents, the trait was transferred from the germ- plasm accession ICP 5529 into male-sterile (A lines) and the corresponding maintainers (B lines). The hybrids derived from crosses involv- ing obcordate leaf A lines and normal leaf fertil- ity restorers (R lines) were fully fertile and had normal lanceolate leaves; thus the difference between A line and hybrids was clear. The use of obcordate leaf as a NEP marker in pigeonpea would contribute to preserve parental line purity and confi rm hybrid status.

Clearwater Russet is a medium-late maturing, russet-skinned, potato cultivar suitable for processing or fresh pack. It is notable for having a low incidence of external defects that contributes to its high U.S. No 1 yield relative to the dual-purpose industry standard, Russet Burbank. Clearwater Russet also maintains low glucose concentrations in its tubers during long-term storage making it an exceptional processing variety. With its low incidence of sugar ends and cold-induced sweetening resistance, Clearwater Russet can be stored at a temperature of 7.2°C for up to 250 days without the need for reconditioning; fry color from this storage regime is consistently ≤1.0 (USDA Fry Color Scale). This cultivar is also notable for its high tuber protein content, which was 33% greater than that of Russet Burbank. In full-season trials conducted over a 3-year period in California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, Clearwater Russet had total yields slightly lower than Ranger Russet and Russet Burbank, but averaged 1% and 33% higher U.S. No. 1 yields, respectively, across all states. Average specific gravity of Clearwater Russet is comparable to Ranger Russet and significantly higher than Russet Burbank. Clearwater Russet is resistant to potato virus X (PVX) and tuber late blight and is moderately resistant to Verticillium wilt, common scab, and the common strain of potato virus Y (PVYO). Symptoms of infection with two necrotic strains of PVY were not observed in tubers of Clearwater Russet or Russet Burbank, but were observed in Ranger Russet. Blackspot bruise reaction for Clearwater Russet is less pronounced than for either Ranger Russet or Russet Burbank. The incidence of hollow heart in Clearwater Russet is intermediate between Ranger Russet and Russet Burbank. Internal brown spot has been noted as a problem for Clearwater Russet in the Columbia Basin of Oregon, but has not been observed as problematic in other growing regions. Clearwater Russet was released in 2008 by the USDA-ARS and the Agricultural Experiment Stations of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, and is a product of the Pacific Northwest Potato Variety (Tri-State) Development Program.

Classic Russet is a medium maturing potato cultivar with rapid tuber bulking making it suitable for early harvest, as well as full-season production. Classic Russet is notable for its attractive tubers with medium russet skin and excellent culinary characteristics. It resulted from a 1995 cross between Blazer Russet and Summit Russet and was released in 2009 by the USDA-ARS and the Agricultural Experiment Stations of Idaho, Oregon and Washington and is a product of the Northwest Potato Variety (Tri-State) Development Program. Classic Russet also shows potential as an early season processing cultivar, with fry color comparable to Russet Burbank and Ranger Russet. Classic Russet total yields were comparable to Russet Norkotah and Ranger Russet in early harvest trials and comparable to Ranger Russet and Russet Burbank in full season trials. When averaged across sites in early harvest or full season trials, U.S. No. 1 yields of Classic Russet were generally greater than those of Russet Norkotah, Ranger Russet, and Russet Burbank. Protein content for Classic Russet is relatively high, averaging 22% higher than Ranger Russet, 32% higher than Russet Burbank and 24% higher than Russet Norkotah. Specific gravity of Classic Russet in early harvest trials was comparable to Russet Norkotah but lower than Ranger Russet and was similar to Russet Burbank in full season trials. The incidence of hollow heart in Classic Russet is low, similar to that of Ranger Russet. It is less susceptible to blackspot bruise than Russet Burbank, Ranger Russet and Russet Norkotah but shatter bruise can be a concern if not matured properly prior to harvest. Classic Russet is moderately resistant to common scab and dry rot and is moderately susceptible to foliar and tuber infections of early blight and symptoms of corky ringspot. It is susceptible to Verticillium wilt, soft rot, foliar and tuber late blight, PLRV and PLRV net necrosis, and the common strain of potato virus Y (PVY°).

DNA fingerprinting is a valuable tool for plant cultivar identification and discrimination. The use of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers for DNA fingerprinting of potatoes could benefit the declaration of distinctiveness of new potato clones for plant variety protection (PVP), granting the Plant Breeder's Rights and the legal protection of new cultivars. A total of 54 tetraploid potato clones, including new cultivars released by Oregon State University under the umbrella of the Pacific Northwest Tri-State Potato Variety Development Program and a set of common commercial cultivars, were analyzed using 13 SSR markers. The SSR amplification products were separated by electrophoresis on a LI-COR 4300 DNA analyzer system and then compiled using the SAGA Generation 2 software. These 13 SSRs were able to distinguish all clones; a reduced subset of 6 SSRs with the highest PIC (polymorphic information content) value were also sufficient to distinguish all 54 potato genotypes. Therefore, this subset of 6 SRRs markers could be a used for legal protection of newly released potato cultivars as part of the cultivar description for PVP.

Potato virus Y (PVY, Potyvirus) is the most harmful disease in cultivated potatoes, affecting tuber seed production, tuber yield and quality. The most common method to limit PVY is to plant certified potato seed with low virus levels. However, milder foliar symptoms caused by some of the PVY strains, or no foliar symptoms in some asymptomatic potato cultivars makes visual detection of PVY difficult and increases the levels of PVY in certified seed. In addition, insecticides are ineffective to control PVY due to the non-persistent transmission of the virus by the aphids. The use of host plant resistance provides a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative. Extreme non-strain specific PVY resistant genes derived from S. tuberosum ssp. andigena (Ry adg gene) and from S. stoloniferum (Ry sto gene) have been introgressed into tetraploid Tri-State potato clones. Genetic mapping efforts located the extreme resistant Ry adg gene on Chr. XI and the Ry sto gene on Chr. XII and PCR-based markers linked to those genes have been previously developed. We have validated the presence and transmission of the Ry adg and Ry sto genes in our clones and applied marker-assisted selection (MAS) in our tetraploid breeding program to expedite the development of PVY resistant potato cultivars.

Highland Russet is a late-season potato variety with light russet skin notable for its high yield of uniform U.S. No. 1 tubers, and good processing and culinary qualities. It resulted from a 1990 cross between Ranger Russet and Russet Legend and has been evaluated for over 15 years in public and industry trials throughout the western U.S. Highland Russet was released in 2006 by the USDA-ARS and the Agricultural Experiment Stations of Idaho, Oregon and Washington and is a product of the Northwest Potato Variety (Tri-State) Development Program. It is suitable for processing into French fries and other frozen potato products and due to its large blocky shape, recovers a high proportion of fries per unit weight of tubers. Fry color and processing ratings for Highland Russet were similar to Ranger Russet and Russet Burbank but fry color uniformity was higher than either of the standard varieties. In full-season trials conducted over a three-year period in the states of Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, and California; Highland Russet averaged 7% and 9% higher total yields and 21% and 52% higher U.S. No. 1 yields than Ranger Russet and Russet Burbank, respectively. It has moderately high specific gravity, with values similar to Ranger Russet and higher than Russet Burbank. Highland Russet is moderately resistant to Verticillium wilt and powdery scab root galling, as well as to tuber infections of late blight. It is also moderately resistant to common strains of potato virus Y (PVYO) but is susceptible to PVYNTN. It is moderately susceptible to pink rot, common scab, powdery scab of the tuber and early blight of the tuber, as well as to Pectobacterium soft rot and Fusarium dry rot. Highland Russet is susceptible to foliar late blight, PLRV infection, Root-knot nematode and corky ringspot but is moderately resistant to PLRV net necrosis. The incidence of hollow heart in Highland Russet is low, similar to that of Ranger Russet and lower than Russet Burbank, Blackspot bruise reaction of Highland Russet is similar to Russet Burbank but it is less susceptible to shatter bruise.

Premier Russet is a russet-skinned, high yielding potato cultivar suitable for processing or fresh-pack. Premier Russet is notable for its resistance to the accumulation of reducing sugars in its tubers. This characteristic allows tubers of Premier Russet to be stored at temperatures as low as 5.6°C for 250 days without the need for reconditioning prior to processing. The low temperature sweetening resistance of Premier Russet allows for its storage at colder temperatures which contributes to prolonged tuber dormancy and quality, and to a reduction in the incidence and severity of storage diseases associated with the higher storage temperatures typically used for industry-standard cultivars such as Russet Burbank and Ranger Russet. Premier Russet was released in 2006 by the USDA-ARS and the Agricultural Experiment Stations of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, and is a product of the Northwest Potato Variety (Tri-State) Development Program. In full-season trials conducted over a 3-year period in the states of Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, California, New Mexico, and Texas, Premier Russet averaged 5% and 4% higher yields than Ranger Russet and Russet Burbank, respectively, and had a higher percentage of US No. 1 yield than either cultivar. Specific gravity of Premier Russet is consistently greater than that of Ranger Russet or Russet Burbank. Premier Russet is resistant to common and powdery scab, very resistant to the common strain of potato virus Y (PVYO), and moderately resistant to Verticillium wilt, early blight of the foliage and tuber, Pectobacterium (Erwinia) soft rot, and to galling of roots by powdery scab. Blackspot bruise reaction for Premier Russet is similar to that of Ranger Russet. The incidence of hollow heart in Premier Russet is higher than that of Ranger Russet or Russet Burbank. Cultural recommendations to manage hollow heart in Premier Russet are provided.

The pink stem borer (Sesamia nonagrioides Lef.) is the main pest of maize (Zea mays L.) in northwestern Spain. Little is known about combining ability for antibiosis and tolerance to this pest. Therefore, the objectives of this work were to estimate general combining ability (GCA), specific combining ability (SCA), and reciprocal effects for stem damage traits, yield, and yield loss by a complete diallel of 10 inbreds and to determine the most useful trait for evaluating the level of defense to pink stem borer. The diallel design was evaluated for 2 yr for stem damage traits, yield loss, and for yield under two conditions, infestation with Sesamia nonagrioides and non infestation. For all stem damage traits, GCA was significant, while SCA and reciprocal effects were not significant. This indicated that, for this set of inbreds, only additive effects were important for stem antibiosis. GCA and SCA effects were significant, in at least one trial, for yield under both infestation conditions and for yield loss. Reciprocal effects were significant for yield of infested and non infested plants in 1995. The lack of concordance among lines that exhibited the most favorable GCA effects for stem antibiosis, yield loss, and yield under infested conditions and the low correlation coefficient between SCA effects for yield under infested and non infested conditions showed that yield under infested conditions is the best trait for evaluating the level of defense against pink stem borer attack., Research supported by the Committee for Science and Technology of Spain (project AGF92-0161) and by the Department of Education of the Autonomus Government of Galicia (project XUGA 40301B95)., MCYT, Xunta de Galicia