FIRST STEPS IN BREEDING FOR RESISTANCE TO POTATO‐ROOT EELWORM.

Abstract

In 1938 an expedition went from Great Britain to collect tuber‐forming species of Solanum from mountainous areas of south and central America, a region generally regarded as the cradle of potato species. The plants brought back by the expedition form the core of the Commonwealth Potato Collection, which has since been added to from various sources. In 1941 Dr Ellenby began screening the various species and varieties in the Collection for resistance to eelworm. Quite soon he was able to demonstrate resistance in S. ballsii (now known as vernei. ) Later, after much labour and many disappointments, he also found evidence of resistance in a few lines of S. andigenum.