International Potato Center

About: International Potato Center is a facility organization based out in Lima, Peru. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Phytophthora infestans. The organization has 1036 authors who have published 1460 publications receiving 47183 citations.

Using programme theory to assess the feasibility of delivering micronutrient Sprinkles through a food-assisted maternal and child health and nutrition programme in rural Haiti

Abstract: This paper uses programme theory to assess, in the context of an effectiveness evaluation, the feasibility and acceptability of distributing micronutrient Sprinkles through a food-assisted maternal and child health and nutrition programme in rural Haiti. We laid out the steps related to programme delivery and household utilization of Sprinkles and used qualitative and quantitative methods to gather data on these steps. Methods included structured observations, checks of beneficiary ration cards, exit interviews, focus group discussions (FGD), individual interviews and survey data from the effectiveness evaluation. Results are as follows: (1) information on use of Sprinkles was provided before mothers first received them, as planned; (2) Sprinkles were re-packaged and distributed as planned and in the appropriate amount; (3) almost all mothers (96%) received two monthly rations of Sprinkles and received timely information on their use; (4) mothers understood instructions about use of Sprinkles and acceptance was high, and no selling of the product was reported or observed; and (5) mothers reported using Sprinkles as instructed, every day (63% in survey; 86% at exit interviews), and for the child only (99%). FGD with staff highlighted the acceptance of the intervention, with a reported 'modest' increase in workload. Within this well-established programme, it proved feasible to distribute Sprinkles and to ensure appropriate use by beneficiary mothers. Existing programme venues were suitable for distributing Sprinkles and educating mothers about their use. Use of programme theory helped to assess feasibility and acceptability of the Sprinkles intervention and provided useful information for programme replication or scale-up.

The origins and adaptation of European potatoes reconstructed from historical genomes

Abstract: Potato, one of the most important staple crops, originates from the highlands of the equatorial Andes. There, potatoes propagate vegetatively via tubers under short days, constant throughout the year. After their introduction to Europe in the sixteenth century, potatoes adapted to a shorter growing season and to tuber formation under long days. Here, we traced the demographic and adaptive history of potato introduction to Europe. To this end, we sequenced 88 individuals that comprise landraces, modern cultivars and historical herbarium samples, including specimens collected by Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle. Our findings show that European potatoes collected during the period 1650–1750 were closely related to Andean landraces. After their introduction to Europe, potatoes admixed with Chilean genotypes. We identified candidate genes putatively involved in long-day pre-adaptation, and showed that the 1650–1750 European individuals were not long-day adapted through previously described allelic variants of the CYCLING DOF FACTOR1 gene. Such allelic variants were detected in Europe during the nineteenth century. Our study highlights the power of combining contemporary and historical genomes to understand the complex evolutionary history of crop adaptation to new environments. Potatoes originated in the Andes and were introduced in Europe in the sixteenth century. Using historical genomes, the authors show that European potatoes were closely related to Andean landraces and find signatures of admixture with Chilean genotypes in Europe.

Stability of resistance to Phytophthora infestans in potato: an international evaluation

Abstract: Ten institutions in nine countries joined together to test the stability of resistance of 14 potato genotypes to the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans in three separate trials. Seven of the genotypes were tested in one trial involving seven locations, and all 14 were tested in two subsequent trials, each involving eight locations. Stability of resistance was tested with nonparametric tests and with an additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) model. Overall, resistance to P. infestans was robust; resistant genotypes were consistently resistant in all locations and trials. The nonparametric analysis indicated that specific genotypes were basically stable across sites for resistance. In trial 3, the Z statistic for overall stability was significant at 0·05%, indicating a significant level of interaction across the trial, but there were no significant interactions for specific genotypes in this trial. The genotype by environment (G × E) effect of the AMMI model was highly significant in both trials, but the mean square of G × E was less than 10% of the genotype effect in each trial. The first two principal components (PCA1 and PCA2) of the AMMI analyses together explained 75 and 80% of the interaction effects in trials 2 and 3, respectively. Based on both nonparametric and AMMI analyses, Ecuador and Argentina were locations of relatively high interaction effects for both trials 2 and 3, although in Ecuador this interaction was not associated with any particular potato genotype. Other locations also had high interaction effects, but these occurred in only one trial. The genotypes Chata Blanca and, to a lesser extent, Torridon were relatively unstable in trials 2 and 3, but in the case of Torridon, resistant, this did not represent a significant loss of resistance.

Screening potato for resistance to potato tuberworm

Abstract: From 3,747 accessions of primitive cultivars and 452 accessions of wild potato species screened for resistance to Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller), 22 primitive and 21 wild potato accessions were identified as highly resistant. These accessions were found resistant to both tuber damage and successful pupation and are now being used in breeding resistance into potentially high-yielding potato varieties adapted to lowland tropics. Resistance is attributed to antibiosis.