Overcoming hybridization barriers in potato

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

The cultivated potato is a major crop worldwide. It is a high input crop with complex quality requirements at harvest and during storage. Potato breeders are fortunate to have access to a very diverse and accessible germplasm resource. Wild Solanum relatives provide genetic diversity as well as genes for valuable production and quality traits. In most cases, crossing success can be predicted based on endosperm balance number (EBN), or effective ploidy, of the parents. Crossing barriers between most wild species and the cultivated potato are the consequence of differences in EBN and can be easily overcome using ploidy manipulations and bridge crosses. The most common ploidy manipulations include haploid extraction to reduce EBN and 2n gamete production to increase EBN. Additional methods to produce fertile interspecific hybrids include mentor pollination, embryo rescue, hormone treatments, reciprocal crosses, selection of cross‐compatible genotypes and somatic fusion. Knowledge of crossing barriers and mechanisms to overcome them allows potato breeders access to the rich gene pool in the genus Solanum .