title: Improving potato drought tolerance through the induction of long-term water stress memory.
abstract: Knowledge of drought tolerance in potato is limited and very little is known about stress memory in this crop. In the present study, long-term stress memory was tested on tuber yield and drought tolerance related traits in three potato varieties (Unica, Désirée and Sarnav) with contrasted yields under water restriction. Seed tubers produced by plants grown under non-restricted (non-primed tubers) and restricted (primed tubers) water conditions were sown and exposed to similar watering treatments. Tuber yield and leaf greenness of plants from primed and non-primed seeds as well as tuber carbon isotope discrimination (Δ(13)C) and antioxidant activity (AA) responses to watering treatments were compared. Higher tuber yield, both under non-restricted and restricted water regimes, was produced by primed Sarnav plants. The decrease of tuber yield and Δ(13)C with water restriction was lower in primed Unica plants. Long-term stress memory consequently appears to be highly genotype-dependent in potato. Its expression in plants originated from primed tubers and facing water restriction seems to be positively associated to the degree of inherent capability of the cultivar to yield under water restriction. However, other effects of priming appear to be genotype-independent as priming enhanced the tuber AA in response to water restriction in the three varieties.
authors.affiliation: International Potato Center (CIP), Apartado 1558, Lima 12, Peru; Water Resources PhD Program, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Av. La Molina s/n, Lima, Peru. Electronic address: d.ramirez@cgiar.org.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.affiliation: International Potato Center (CIP), Apartado 1558, Lima 12, Peru.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Rolando
authors.affiliation: International Potato Center (CIP), Apartado 1558, Lima 12, Peru.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yactayo
authors.affiliation: International Potato Center (CIP), Apartado 1558, Lima 12, Peru.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Monneveux
authors.affiliation: International Potato Center (CIP), Apartado 1558, Lima 12, Peru.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mares
authors.affiliation: International Potato Center (CIP), Apartado 1558, Lima 12, Peru.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Quiroz
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D003681:Dehydration; D055864:Droughts; D005838:Genotype; D006813:Humidity; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000502:physiology; D012639:Seeds / Q000502:physiology; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013472:Sunlight; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D002247:Carbon Isotopes
keywords: Antioxidant activity; Carbon isotope discrimination; Drought; Leaf greenness; Long-term stress memory; Solanum tuberosum