Potato cultivar development by traditional methods is a slow process requiring a number of years. In this proposal experiments are designed to rapidly transfer commercially important traits into Solanum tuberosum cv. Russet Burbank using protoplast fusion. The donor line contains superior resistance to net necrosis, Golden nematode, wilt and bruising, as well as containing higher solids and displaying earlier tuber set. In phase 1 conditions will be defined to fuse protoplasts of this line with Russet Burbank and to regenerate fusion derivatives. If this approach is feasible it could be used to bring a broad range of useful traits into potato in a much shorter period of time, thereby decreasing farming costs and increasing production.
