2. It’s difficult to control potato late blight
In the early 20th century, the breeder found that hexaploid S. demissum had resistance genes (R genes)
and could directly cross with tetraploid S. tuberosum. So it was considered as the main resistance
resource, and 11 R genes (R1-R11) have been introgressed into potato cultivars[2]. But resistance
breakdown was found in cultivars carrying one or few R genes in monoculture, and P. infestans isolates
that could infect all specificities of 11 R genes were occasionally found[4]. Disappointed by the nondurable
resistance of the S. demissum R genes, researchers and breeders either turned to other species for
durable R genes [7-11], or adopted so-called ‘R-gene-free’ approaches to explore partial resistance [12-
13]. However, both alternatives appeared to be problematic: sexual barriers made the flow of R genes
from other wild species time-consuming and partial resistance was often unfavorably linked to late
maturity and low vigor [14-15]. For example, Dutch breeder utilized double bridgecrossing using S.
acaule (2n=4x=48) and S. phureja (2n=2x=24) to introgress late blight R genes from S. bulbocastanum
(2n=2x=24) into S. tuberosum, and in early 1970’s this resulted in the ABPT clones[11]. It was not until
2004 that the first potato cv. Biogold (Van RijnBV) carrying gene(s) from the ABPT clones was released,
but unfortunately these materials were overcome less then one year.
According to the Flor’s gene-for-gene model[16], resistance only occurs when the R gene in the host
and the corresponding avirulence gene (Avr) in the pathogen are both present, and expressed resistance is
the result that the protein encoded by the R gene directly recognize the elicitor encoded by the
corresponding Avr gene. Whether the resistance is durable or not depends on the pathogen evolutionary
potential. Bruce McDonald[3]evaluated the evolutionary potential of different pathogens mainly
according to their mating system and gene flow, and develop resistance-breeding strategies to achieve
durable disease resistance. From the results, P.infestance with mixed reproduction systems that include
both sexual and asexual reproduction poses the highest risk of evolution because they receive benefits
from both styles of reproduction. Sexual recombination allows many new combinations of alleles to
come together and then be tested in the local environment. The asexual reproduction allows the most fit
genotype to reproduce as a clone, and it is possible that asexual spores become widely dispersed by air
over long distances. So, P.infestance is one of the highest risk of evolution pathogens and readily
overcomes R genes in R-gene monoculture or R-gene pyramiding, which coined with observed results (R
genes were overcomed the same year or after 2~3 years).