W. J. Hooker ............................................ President P. J. Eastman ...................................... President-elect O. C. Turnquist .................................. Vice-President N. M. Parks .................... I.mmediate Past President J. C. Campbell ............................................ Treasurer R. V. Akeley ................................................ Secretary E. J. Wheeler ................................................ Director D. S. McLachlan .......................................... Director C. E. Cunningham ........................................ Director

Amey is a late-maturing, russet-skinned, whitefleshed potato cultivar that yields more than Russet Burbank in most eastern United States potato production areas. Tubers of Amey are mostly oblong, occasionally long, with an evenly russetted skin. Tubers of Amey are smoother, more attractive, and have a much lower incidence of external defects than Russet Burbank. The specific gravity of Amey is equal to or greater than the specific gravity of Russet Burbank. French fries produced from Amey are lighter than or equal in color to those produced from Russet Burbank; however, tubers are frequently not long enough to satisfy the french fry industry. Baking and taste quality of Amey are excellent, and it has potential as a fresh market potato. Amey is resistant to race Rol of the golden nematode, powdery scab, and common scab. It is moderately susceptible to Verticillium wilt. It is susceptible to potato leafroll virus, late blight, and early blight.

Coastal Chip is a medium-late maturing potato chipping variety suitable for production in locations along the east coast of the United States where heat stress reduces internal quality of tubers. It yields as well as the variety Atlantic but is not as susceptible to heat necrosis. The specific gravity of Coastal Chip averages approximately 0.010 less than Atlantic at locations subject to heat stress. In the seed producing areas of Maine it’s specific gravity averages approximately 0.005 less than that of Atlantic. Tubers are round, netted-skinned, and have moderately deep stem and bud ends. Chips from Coastal Chip are slightly lighter in color than those produced by Atlantic. In mid-Atlantic states where heat stress adversely affects chip color Coastal Chip processes into chips for a slightly longer period of time after harvest than does Atlantic. Glycoalkaloid content of Coastal Chip averaged 7.9 mg/100 g fresh tissue. Sunburned (green) tubers of Coastal Chip develop purple streaks that remain following processing. Hills must be properly covered to reduce losses. Coastal Chip is resistant to race A of the golden nematode (Globodera rostochiensis) and potato virus A. It is tolerant to Verticillium wilt, more susceptible to common scab and Rhizoctonia than Atlantic and susceptible to potato virus X.

Castile is a golden nematode Race A (Globodera rostochiensis) resistant potato variety with the potential to produce high marketable yields of attractive tubers suitable for tablestock and processing. Tubers are oblong to long, slightly flattened with a smooth white skin and moderately shallow eyes. Vines of this variety are large, providing a dense canopy, and require a full growing season similar to that needed for Katahdin. Timely irrigation produces high marketable yields, stress conditions can limit yields. Specific gravity in New York State averages 0.005 above Katahdin and 0.009 below Atlantic. Tuber flesh is bright white. Baking and french fry quality is good. Chip color, when tubers are stored at 10 C for 120 days, is equivalent to Atlantic. Castile is resistant to corky ring spot, pinkeye, and moderately resistant to Fusarium rot.

Every year potato (Solarium tuberosum L.) clones which remain in the USDA potato breeding program after six or more years of selection are entered into yield trials in Maine. Specific gravity and yield data were analyzed for six years (1972, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1984, and 1987) to determine the relationship between specific gravity and yield for populations of white and russet potatoes. In these trials, marketable yields of white-skinned potatoes were significantly greater than those of russet potatoes. Average specific gravity was significantly greater in the white than in the russet potatoes in three of the six years. A slight, but usually not significant, negative correlation of marketable yield with specific gravity was found for russet potatoes. A significant negative correlation of marketable yield with specific gravity was found in three of the six years for white potatoes. Regression analyses of marketable yield on specific gravity showed a great dispersion of values. Since only one or two advanced lines are potential variety releases, the present breeding approach is sufficient to continue to release potato varieties of acceptable yield and specific gravity.

NemaRus, a russet-skinned potato variety resistant to race A of the golden nematode (Globodera rostochiensis), is medium-late in maturity (110 days) and adapted primarily to the Northeastern United States and Northern Florida. Tubers are oblong to long with moderately shallow eyes, and medium-to-heavy russeted skin. The specific gravity of NemaRus is similar to the popular Western U.S.A. fresh market russet variety Centennial Russet. Flesh is creamy white. Glycoalkaloid content of NemaRus averages about 12.0 mg/100 g fresh tissue. NemaRus is field-immune to the common strains of potato virus X and to tuber net necrosis caused by late current-season infection by the potato leaf roll virus. It is resistant to race O ofPhytophthora infestans to tuber rot caused byFusarium sambucinum & F. coeruleum; tolerant to scab, Verticillium wilt, and the pinkeye bacterial disease complex. It is also highly resistant to internal tuber net necrosis associated with high temperatures during tuber initiation and enlargement. NemaRus yielded 24% more U.S. No. 1 tubers than BelRus in Maine and 22% more than Centennial Russet in Northern Florida.

Coastal Russet (tested as B9596-2) is a clone with mid-season maturity that produces russet skin tubers that are long and slightly flattened. Tuber yields in the eastern portions of the United States have been considerably greater than for BelRus. Tubers are well-shaped, have shallow eyes, and are attractive in appearance. Tuber appearance and size make this cultivar very well suited for the tablestock market. It is not suitable for processing. Coastal Russet is highly resistant to tuber net necrosis caused by late current season infection with leafroll and is tolerant to common scab.

The Laal-e-Faisal (Pearl of Pakistan) potato variety was selected at Kaghan by the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, Pakistan, from a seedling tuber population of the cross Chieftain × B7160-4. The variety was tested at agricultural centers and in growers’ fields under the pedigree FB9003-3. Laal-e-Faisal is adapted particularly to summer, fall, and spring producing areas of the Punjab, Pakistan. Tubers are high in solids (20-24%), produce light-colored chips, and are excellent in flavor and texture as a boiled or fried product. Laal-e-Faisal shows tolerance to field infiltration by major potato viruses, including leafroll. It shows significant tolerance to late blight, scab, and frost. It has not shown unusual susceptibility to other major potato viruses, early blight,Rhizoctonia, black leg,Fusarium tuber rot, and/or bacterial wilt.

Applied as a soil drench to chrysanthemums, 0.4% crude neem extract caused significant mortality of late instars and pupae of Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) in both research and commercial greenhouses. Insecticidal effects of drenching lasted for 3 weeks. Drenching did not inhibit female feeding or oviposition. Repeated drenching did not significantly inhibit plant growth. Mortality (89%) of prepupae reared from untreated plants occurred when the prepupae were placed on neem-drenched soil.

Genetic and environmental factors that can cause potato tubers and processed products to have excessive glycoalkaloid levels (> 20 mg/100 g fresh wt) are reviewed and discussed. Measures that breeders, growers, processors, and distributors might take to maintain glycoalkaloid levels at their present low levels are suggested.

Russette is a new, late maturing, russet potato variety adapted primarily for the northeastern United States and northern Florida. Tubers are oval to oblong, smooth with a medium-russet skin, and shallow eyes. Its specific gravity is similar to those of BelRus and Russet Burbank in areas of adaptation. Glycoalkaloid content is about 11 mg/100 g fresh weight. Baking quality is excellent, flesh is white, and best color of french fries is obtained from tubers stored at or above 13°C (55°F). Its long rest period makes it amenable to storage at a relatively high temperature before a chemical sprout inhibitor is needed. Russette is immune to virus A and leaf roll-induced tuber net necrosis; highly resistant to Verticillium wilt, tuber pinkeye, and tuber heat necrosis; and has good tolerance to scab, early blight, and Rhizoctonia infection of sprouts, stolon, and roots. Losses to rots and shrinkage in storage have been minimal. Russette is not resistant to viruses X, S, Y, and leaf roll and bacterial ring rot. Russette emerges to a stand about 10 days later than most varieties, however, subsequent vine growth is rapid until tuberization begins. Large-sized tubers may develop hollow heart under a late-season regime of high nitrogen and high moisture. A 22–30 cm (9″- to -12″) seed-piece spacing and 220 kg/ha (180 pounds/a) of nitrogen are recommended for production on mineral soils.

Delta Gold is a medium-late maturing, round, yellowish-skinned, yellow-fleshed variety which is excellent for baking and processing. Its yields have been lower than Kennebec; however, specific gravities have been higher. It is moderately resistant to scab and early blight and immune to net necrosis and virus A.

Since 1971, we have used roquette,Eruca vesicaria (L.) Cav. subsp.sativa (Mill.) Thell., as a host for prolonged maintenance of colonies of the green peach aphid,Myzus persicae (Sulzer), and the potato aphid,Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas). When roquette plants were kept in a growth chamber with 12 hour light and dark periods and a temperature regime of 20°C light and 15°C dark, or in greenhouse cubicles with temperatures ranging from 22–28°C and light periods ranging from 12 to 14 hours, colonies of these aphids could be maintained on a single plant for 16 weeks. These aphids retained their original characteristics, readily accepting radish, lettuce, and snapdragon as hosts, but accepted chrysanthemum only with great reluctance. Aphids from colonies that were maintained on roquette for 4 years did not lose their ability to transmit viruses.

Fifty-one potato cultivars were evaluated for reaction to infection byPseudomonas solanacearum Sm. under high disease pressure in a field plot near Tifton, Georgia during the spring of 1978 and 1979. Plots were infested by clipping beds of thickly seeded tomato plants with a rotary mower contaminated with the wilt baterium in 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1978. The plants were incorporated into the soil following disease development. In addition to the use of infested soil, one stem on each potato plant was inoculated in late May by cutting with a knife blade dipped in a bacterial suspension. Most of the cultivars evaluated were highly susceptible to bacterial wilt. Ontario was the only cultivar highly resistant to the disease, with only 1% and 8% dead or dying plants in 1978 and 1979, respectively. Based on tuber infection, Ontario and Snowchip were the most resistant, with 9% and 14% infection, respectively, in 1978 and both 4% in 1979. Saco, Green Mountain and Sebago also showed some resistance.

Belchip, a round white, widely adapted potato variety, especially useful for chips, was released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Agricultural Experiment Stations of Florida, New Jersey, and Maine, and the Virginia Truck and Ornamental Research Station, Norfolk in 1978. Belchip is immune to viruses A and X and tuber net necrosis caused by the leaf roll virus; highly resistant to race O of late blight and tuber necrosis caused by high soil temperatures; and has not shown unusual susceptibility to other major potato diseases. Maturity is about 5 days later than Atlantic.

Seedlings ofSolarium demissum P.I. 230579 in the 5-to 10-leaf stage growing under 18-hour days and at 20 to 24°C developed dark, irregular, slightly elongated local lesions 3 to 5 days following inoculation with any one of three strains of potato virus Y (PVY). Local lesions did not develop after similar inoculations with any one of two or more strains each of potato viruses A, M, S, X, or spindle tuber and a single strain each of potato calico and potato yellow dwarf. Inoculations from diseased specimens infected with PVY plus potato viruses A, M, S, and X, singly or in some combinations did not affect the efficiency of P.I. 230579 in detecting PVY in the mixed infections. Plants of P.I. 230579 developed significant numbers of local lesions from PVY inoculations at temperatures from 16 to 27°C and at inoculum dilutions through 1:100. Excised individual leaves of P.I. 230579 can be used to detect PVY. Leaves of plants exposed to air pollutants are unsuitable for assay purposes.S. demissum P.I. 230579 is homozygous for the local reaction to isolates of PVY and is a valuable aid for indexing aphid or mechanically inoculated potato clones or seedlings for resistance to the virus. It is a superior diagnostic host for differentiating PVY from other viruses commonly found in potatoes in the United States.