Deciphering potato genomes: allelic diversity, evolution, and implications for breeding

Samenvatting (Engelstalig)

Despite the essential role that potatoes play in global food and nutritional security, their breeding progress has not kept pace with other major staple crops like rice, maize, and wheat. This is partly because we lack genomic information about existing potato varieties, creating a knowledge gap in understanding potato genetic diversity—an essential factor in molecular breeding.

This thesis focuses on sequencing and analyzing potato accessions from both autotetraploid and diploid diversity panels. Through population genetic and comparative evolutionary genomic analyses, we gain a deeper understanding of genetic diversity among potato species. This has led to the identification of several functional genes responsible for key agronomic traits.

The results also shed light on the evolutionary path of wild and cultivated potatoes, revealing how artificial selection has influenced the genomes of modern elite potato varieties tailored for specific market segments. These findings have significant implications for potato breeding and the industry as a whole.