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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Origins of the blemishes of potato tubers : from the soil microbiology to the pedoclimatic environment

subject

description

The visual quality of fresh potatoes, Solanum tuberosum, became a dominant criterion and a significative economical issue in potato market. According the vegetative reproduction of this species, requirements for visual quality are also needed for potato seed tubers. As an organ for reserve and propagation, the tuber grows underground and is in contact with soil-borne microorganisms, making it potentially exposed to blemishes, for the majority of which the origin is still unclear. The objective of this work is to make an inventory of those tuber blemishes, to characterize them and determine their causes. After the establishment of consensual nomenclature and classification of the blemishes, two hypotheses were formulated: (1) blemishes are due to pathogenic attacks and/or (2) they result from a response of the plants to environmental stresses. The assessment of the first hypothesis allowed identifying a wide diversity of microorganisms living on the blemished tuber surface. Their pathogenicity was tested by several biological assays that allowed producing blemishes on progeny tubers and fulfilling the Koch's postulates for the fungus Rhizoctonia solani causing sclerotia. For many other blemishes no clear relationship was established between a microorganism and a blemish. A study of the microbial structure of the geocaulosphere of tubers blemished or not, showed that bacterial and fungal communities adopted different dynamics during the growing season and according to the sanitary status of the seed tuber, but no causality link could have been drawn. On the other hand, an increase of R. solani population around blemished tubers was observed. The diversity of strains of R. solani originating from France and from Europe and associated to the blemished tubers was characterized. The phylogenetic relationships between the strains were independent of the geographical origin and of the host cultivar, thus the existence of frequent genetic events and genetic mixing between the populations of R. solani was suggested. Concerning the potential implication of different abiotic factors, a survey conducted with farmers showed the implication of soil pH, some cultural practices, including the choice of the susceptible cultivars and meteorological conditions on the occurrence of some blemishes. This work made clear the blemish nomenclature, confirmed the implication of R. solani in the occurrence of some blemishes and suggested new hypotheses concerning the occurrence of blemishes as a plant response to a stressful environment. Thus, a path was opened toward the resolution of the issue asked by all the potato community, responsible for the marketing of a mass consumption fresh product and answering to market requirements related to visual and culinary qualities and to environmental friendly modes of production.