Potato viruses in China

Potato (Solon urn tuberosum L.) is globally the fourth largest staple crop after rice, wheat and maize. China is the largest potato producer worldwide, accounting for 26.3% and 22.2% of the global total area and yield, respectively. Viral diseases have been a limiting factor for sustainable production of potato in China. This article provides update and comprehensive information on the most important viruses, their effect on yield and their control in China. Meristem culture is currently the most widely used technique for production of virus-free potato plants and these plants are used as nuclear stock for the production of certified seed tubers. Although a significant increase in tuber yield has been achieved using certified seed potatoes, lack of application of a national seed potato production scheme has hindered progress. Conventional breeding using virus-resistant cultivars introduced from other countries as parents has already led to the production of Chinese cultivars. Use of virus-resistant wild Solanum species and genetic transformation techniques will provide new virus-resistant varieties in the future to further enhance control of potato viruses in China. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.