Development of virulence diagnostics for Globodera pallida

Background

New EU rules for quarantine organisms, including the potato cyst nematode G. pallida, impose strict requirements for the cultivation of potatoes. It is no longer sufficient to simply determine whether there is an infestation with potato cyst nematodes (PCN), as specific characteristics of field populations must also be taken into account in the application of official control measures. In recent years there has been a gradual increase in virulence in field populations of G. pallida in the Netherlands. Recently completed TKI T&U research shows that this increase is the result of genetic selection through the use of AM resistant potato varieties. The virulence can be traced back to changes at one specific locus on the DNA of G. pallida.

Goals

The PALLIGEN project aims to further develop this fundamental knowledge towards an application for growers, potato breeders, service companies, and supervisory authorities. To this end, diagnostic DNA tests will be developed within the project for genotyping field populations of G. pallida. A complicating factor here is the way in which potato cyst nematodes reproduce. Just like with humans, no nematode within a population is genetically the same and several generations live together. The scientific challenge of this project is therefore to understand how gradual shifts in genetically heterogeneous field populations translate into an increase in virulence under field conditions. For growers, breeders and service companies, this knowledge is essential for providing advice to farmers in the application of PCN-resistant potato varieties. This knowledge could become of great importance for supervisory authorities in the Netherlands in the implementation of the national survey and detection investigation in the context of implementing new EU regulations.