Genomic Selection: Future of Potato Crop Improvement

Crop improvement through plant breeding is fundamental to meet the food demand of the increasing population estimated to reach more than 9 billion by 2050. Potato is the third most important food crop globally and is considered imperative for global food security. The demand for improved potato cultivars for enhanced yield, quality, and disease resistance is increasing. Conventional potato breeding is less efficient and time-consuming, which takes more than a decade to improve desirable traits in the selected population. However, Genomic selection (GS) is evolving as an efficient tool for potato breeding which provides opportunities to increase the genetic gain of complex traits per unit time and cost. The genomic prediction model has shown promising results in various traits like yield, maturity, processing qualities, and diseases resistance. This study is designed to understand the basics of GS and the application of genomic selection in potato crop improvement.