Controlling dormancy and sprouting in potato and onion
Lead Research Organisation:
CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY
Department Name: School of Water, Energy and Environment
Abstract
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Technical Summary
This science-led project addresses a major commercial problem in potato and onion industries, namely loss of crop value and quality due to untimely postharvest sprouting from tubers and bulbs. Chemical controls are widely deployed but many of these may be withdrawn and others are not universally effective. Alternative routes to preventing sprouting are therefore urgently needed. Duration of meristem endodormancy and subsequent rate of sprout extension are key traits for which substantial genotypic variation exists, and some of this has been associated with QTLs in potato. However, the underlying genes are not yet defined, nor is the substantial influence of pre- and post-harvest environment fully understood.
We have therefore assembled a team with complementary expertise across genetics, molecular biology, physiology and storage of both species. We will take advantage of unique potato genetic resources, especially substantial mapping populations with diversity in dormancy, and the recent availability of a high quality genome sequence. Onion genomics are much less advanced, but we will access the latest resources and generate novel RNAseq data. This will allow innovative species and genotype comparisons
Our starting point is a working model of hormone signalling in regulation of dormancy and post-dormancy growth; this is based on our data for cytokinins, strigolactones, ethylene and ABA. We will advance and test this model by sampling extreme genotypes from both narrow genetic bases (individuals from mapping populations) and broader potato and onion diversity. By accurately defining duration of endodormancy and tracing transcript and hormone profiles in tuber and meristem tissues throughout crop development and post-harvest storage, we will extract the strongest variables that robustly correlate with, predict and/or regulate dormancy status. Close alignment with industry will enable translation and further testing of models under commercial conditions.
We have therefore assembled a team with complementary expertise across genetics, molecular biology, physiology and storage of both species. We will take advantage of unique potato genetic resources, especially substantial mapping populations with diversity in dormancy, and the recent availability of a high quality genome sequence. Onion genomics are much less advanced, but we will access the latest resources and generate novel RNAseq data. This will allow innovative species and genotype comparisons
Our starting point is a working model of hormone signalling in regulation of dormancy and post-dormancy growth; this is based on our data for cytokinins, strigolactones, ethylene and ABA. We will advance and test this model by sampling extreme genotypes from both narrow genetic bases (individuals from mapping populations) and broader potato and onion diversity. By accurately defining duration of endodormancy and tracing transcript and hormone profiles in tuber and meristem tissues throughout crop development and post-harvest storage, we will extract the strongest variables that robustly correlate with, predict and/or regulate dormancy status. Close alignment with industry will enable translation and further testing of models under commercial conditions.
Planned Impact
Who might benefit from this research?
This proposal has been developed in consultation with key UK industrial beneficiaries. Enhanced knowledge and tools relating to potato storage will benefit all industry sectors, reflected by the financial support of the Potato Council, who include this topic as a priority area in their R&D strategy. Direct beneficiaries include PepsiCo PLC, a global company with substantial activity in the UK processing potato market, and Albert Bartlett, UK's leading grower and packer of potatoes (25% market share of UK fresh & seed potato production) Collectively the levy board and industrial partners have committed significant funding to the project (10% cash).
Ultimately project outcomes will impact on sustainable food production. UK food self-sufficiency will result in reduced imports and costs to consumers. In the global economy, improved human nutrition anywhere will improve global security and thereby benefit the UK. Outcomes of this research will also impact on breeding in developing countries. For example the International Potato Centre (CIP) operates several breeding programmes for Asia and Africa, where crop storage facilities are limited. A unified model of dormancy control across crops included here will provide impetus for research on less studied staples (yam, sweet potato) vital for food security in some of world's poorest regions.
How might they benefit from this research?
Currently in the UK, storage waste for potatoes and onions is between 3-25%. Much of this waste is related to breaking of endormancy and premature sprouting. Chemical inhibitors of sprouting (e.g. chlorpropham (CIPC) and maleic hydrazide (MH)) are UK industry standards; however they are under severe threat of being withdrawn under EU regulation, since they are increasingly considered undesirable by consumers and regulators. Currently, of the 4.05 million tonnes of potatoes stored annually in the UK, 44% is treated with CIPC, so there is an urgent need to develop new storage strategies for potato and onion, less reliant on CIPC (please see letter of support from CIPC stewardship group). This new consortium will employ cutting-edge technologies to develop genetic, molecular, biochemical markers in potato and onion for evaluation of dormancy status in existing and emerging cultivars and to understand the impact of agronomic/storage practices on the development of dormancy.
For onion, our proposed research and assemblies will feed directly into the current international efforts on transcriptome analysis for onion and other alliums. With the assistance of Prof. Havey of the University of Wisconsin we will ensure that we integrate and make public onion transcriptome data.
Longer term, plant breeding is the route through which almost all genetic advances in crop production will benefit the wider community. The commercial arm of JHI, Mylnefield Research Services, runs potato breeding programmes for all major UK potato producers, enabling ready routes to translate research outcomes to industry.
Wide dissemination will ensure full benefit of project outcomes. Participation of the Potato Council in the consortium is pivotal through its links across the UK potato industry. The Potato Council will also provide feedback from industry on the project and the uptake of its outcomes. Similarly, established links between CU and the British Onion Producers Association will provide a route to interaction with the onion industry.
NRI-UoG works closely with international research organisations including CGIAR centres such as CIP, IITA and CIAT to support research on root crops in order to improve food security worldwide. It is therefore well placed to ensure that project outputs are fully exploited through breeding and technology development to improve storage and reduce losses for potato, onion and other root crops.
This proposal has been developed in consultation with key UK industrial beneficiaries. Enhanced knowledge and tools relating to potato storage will benefit all industry sectors, reflected by the financial support of the Potato Council, who include this topic as a priority area in their R&D strategy. Direct beneficiaries include PepsiCo PLC, a global company with substantial activity in the UK processing potato market, and Albert Bartlett, UK's leading grower and packer of potatoes (25% market share of UK fresh & seed potato production) Collectively the levy board and industrial partners have committed significant funding to the project (10% cash).
Ultimately project outcomes will impact on sustainable food production. UK food self-sufficiency will result in reduced imports and costs to consumers. In the global economy, improved human nutrition anywhere will improve global security and thereby benefit the UK. Outcomes of this research will also impact on breeding in developing countries. For example the International Potato Centre (CIP) operates several breeding programmes for Asia and Africa, where crop storage facilities are limited. A unified model of dormancy control across crops included here will provide impetus for research on less studied staples (yam, sweet potato) vital for food security in some of world's poorest regions.
How might they benefit from this research?
Currently in the UK, storage waste for potatoes and onions is between 3-25%. Much of this waste is related to breaking of endormancy and premature sprouting. Chemical inhibitors of sprouting (e.g. chlorpropham (CIPC) and maleic hydrazide (MH)) are UK industry standards; however they are under severe threat of being withdrawn under EU regulation, since they are increasingly considered undesirable by consumers and regulators. Currently, of the 4.05 million tonnes of potatoes stored annually in the UK, 44% is treated with CIPC, so there is an urgent need to develop new storage strategies for potato and onion, less reliant on CIPC (please see letter of support from CIPC stewardship group). This new consortium will employ cutting-edge technologies to develop genetic, molecular, biochemical markers in potato and onion for evaluation of dormancy status in existing and emerging cultivars and to understand the impact of agronomic/storage practices on the development of dormancy.
For onion, our proposed research and assemblies will feed directly into the current international efforts on transcriptome analysis for onion and other alliums. With the assistance of Prof. Havey of the University of Wisconsin we will ensure that we integrate and make public onion transcriptome data.
Longer term, plant breeding is the route through which almost all genetic advances in crop production will benefit the wider community. The commercial arm of JHI, Mylnefield Research Services, runs potato breeding programmes for all major UK potato producers, enabling ready routes to translate research outcomes to industry.
Wide dissemination will ensure full benefit of project outcomes. Participation of the Potato Council in the consortium is pivotal through its links across the UK potato industry. The Potato Council will also provide feedback from industry on the project and the uptake of its outcomes. Similarly, established links between CU and the British Onion Producers Association will provide a route to interaction with the onion industry.
NRI-UoG works closely with international research organisations including CGIAR centres such as CIP, IITA and CIAT to support research on root crops in order to improve food security worldwide. It is therefore well placed to ensure that project outputs are fully exploited through breeding and technology development to improve storage and reduce losses for potato, onion and other root crops.
Publications
Alamar MC
(2020)
Transcriptome and phytohormone changes associated with ethylene-induced onion bulb dormancy.
in Postharvest biology and technology
Alamar MC
(2017)
Assuring Potato Tuber Quality during Storage: A Future Perspective.
in Frontiers in plant science
Bryan, G
(2019)
Controlling Dormancy and Sprouting in Potato and Onion
Morris WL
(2019)
A member of the TERMINAL FLOWER 1/CENTRORADIALIS gene family controls sprout growth in potato tubers.
in Journal of experimental botany
Ohanenye IC
(2019)
Fructans redistribution prior to sprouting in stored onion bulbs is a potential marker for dormancy break.
in Postharvest biology and technology
Description | This project aimed at unravelling genetic and molecular processes underlying the very important traits, tuber and bulb dormancy in potato and onion respectively. We have made significant progress in gaining a better understanding of the genetics of tuber dormancy in potato using a diploid cross that shows a high level of variation in the trait. We have detected significant genetic effects on four potato chromosomes and we believe we have identified a good candidate gene for one of these. This is currently being confirmed using transgenic approaches. Other potato work is looking gene expression and other changes (plant growth regulators, hormones etc) in extreme dormancy lines from the crossing population. The onion work does not involve genetic analysis so is more focused on a transcriptomic and biochemical approach. Work has been published and has shown the following thus far: potato: 1) discovered mechanism to how ethylene can extend eco-dormancy in potato [papers in preparation], 2) discovered a gene family which controls sprout growth/vigour in potato tubers [Morris et al., 2018] onion: 1) created first de novo transcriptome for onion to investigate dormancy transition and discovered that ethylene can extend eco-dormancy in onion bulbs [Alamar et al., 2020]; 2) Showed that continuous ethylene induced a climacteric-like respiration peak in stored onions [Alamar et al., 2020]; 3) Ethylene upregulated ethylene biosynthesis transcripts (ACO1), and ABA biosynthesis gene NCED in onion baseplates [Alamar et al., 2020]; 4) discovered that fructans redistribution could be used as a predictive marker for onion dormancy-break [Ohanenye et al., 2019]; Other research is covered by a NDA between parties and thus more detailed information cannot be disclosed at this time pending a patent search. |
Exploitation Route | potato: 1) discovered mechanism to how ethylene can extend eco-dormancy in potato - this could be used by others in industry to improve storage 2) discovered a gene family which controls sprout growth/vigour in potato tubers [Morris et al., 2018] - this could be used by others in industry to improve storage onion: 1) created first de novo transcriptome for onion - this can be used by other researchers for future onion research 2) gained mechanistic understanding of how ethylene can extend eco-dormancy and reduce sprout growth in onion bulbs - this could be used by others in industry to improve storage 3) discovered that fructans redistribution could be used as a predictive marker for onion dormancy-break [Ohanenye et al., 2019] - this could be used by others in industry to improve storage prediction and thus storage scheduling and release 4) The effect of ethylene supplementation on dormancy break and sprout growth resulted in the alteration of the balance in plant growth regulators (abscisic acid and cytokinins) at time to dormancy break, and impacted on their spatial distribution in onion tissue. Other research is covered by a Master Service Agreement between parties and thus information cannot be disclosed at this time pending a patent search. |
Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink |
URL | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925521420304956 |
Description | Several meetings have been held with industrial partners, notably at Bartletts in Airdrie (2016, 2017), as well as a joint event with Bartletts, Pepsico and AHDB (2016). Various ways are being discussed for industrial partners to make use of results from the project. The main opportunities under discussion are; How to exploit QTL information for dormancy/sprouting in potato to develop markers for breeding; the potential to exploit natural variants in dormancy related candidate genes identified; and investigating the profiles of gene expression, hormone levels and metabolite changes to develop markers for status of potato tubers and onion bulbs in storage. CU (PI Prof. Leon A. Terry) has been awarded a BBSRC grant ("Implementing novel, cost effective alternatives to CIPC for sustainable potato storage" [Reference: BB/M027295/1] which builds upon this project. It aims at developing novel, cost effective, benign, physiologically-targeted storage interventions which will suppress sprouting and maintain low sugars, offering a route to incremental reduction in and ultimately the removal of the use of CIPC in the UK and beyond. Presentations have been given at various crop storage and other events since the inception of the project in 2013, including British Potato 2015 and Potatoes in Practice (2017). A report fro AHDB is in preparation as are other publications on the genetics of dormancy and tuberisation in potato. The research has helped secure additional research funding from the Agritech Catalyst [with Match funding from PepsiCo]. The research has also led to two patent applications and substantive direct from PepsiCo [e.g. fully funded PhD student - details cannot be disclosed due to confidentiality]. The research has also helped to secure a further extension to the Master Service Agreement between Cranfield and PepsiCo. |
First Year Of Impact | 2015 |
Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink |
Impact Types | Economic |
Description | Horticultural Crop Quality and Food Loss Prevention Network |
Amount | £375,715 (GBP) |
Funding ID | BB/T010819/1 |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2020 |
End | 01/2024 |
Description | Implementing novel, cost effective alternatives to CIPC for sustainable potato storage |
Amount | £525,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | BB/M027295/1 |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2015 |
End | 08/2019 |
Description | Investigating the role of plant growth regulators and fructans during the onion dormancy break and sprout elongation |
Amount | £19,503 (GBP) |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2021 |
End | 03/2022 |
Title | Detailed potato phenotyping for bud assessment |
Description | A detailed phenotyping key (including dormant, pre- eye movement, eye movement/dormancy break, small sprout, and sprout) for potato bud assessment was developed. The assessment had to be done under stereomicroscope and bud samples where further excised for biochemical (viz. phytohormones) and molecular analysis. Such analysis also confirmed the robustness of the protocol for sample extraction, which has been used in two consecutive years within the project. |
Type Of Material | Physiological assessment or outcome measure |
Year Produced | 2018 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | The developed methodology was consistently used during the project and further extended to related projects. |
Description | PepsiCo |
Organisation | PepsiCo |
Country | United States |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Master Service Agreement signed and renewed [confidential] |
Collaborator Contribution | Master Service Agreement signed and renewed [confidential] |
Impact | Master Service Agreement signed and renewed 2 patents Additional research commissioned [e.g. fully funded PhD and contract research] Members of Cranfield staff now working at PepsiCo [Dr Gemma Chope and Dr Kate Cools] |
Start Year | 2013 |
Description | HAPi event |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | HAPI dissemination event will take place on 10-11 December 2019 at the Park Plaza Hotel in Leeds. Mechanistic commonalities in potato, and onion storage Leon Terry, Cranfield University |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Innovate UK - Knowledge Transfer Network event |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | I was an Invited speaker at BP2017, as part of Innovate UK - Knowledge Transfer Network event, in Harrogate. The aim and objectives, as well as the main findings of the BBSRC funded project 'Controlling Potato Dormancy' Horticulture and Potato Initiative were disseminated as two oral presentations on 22nd and 23rd November, 2017, respectively. Apart from the questions from the audience, separate conversations and further contacts were made with relevant companies from the sector, such as KP Snacks and TOMRA sensors |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE) SEM meeting |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The on-line meeting of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE SEM) gathered ca. members at the time. However, the presentation entitled 'Reducing food loss and waste through postharvest technology' was recorded and made available to all IAgrE members. My talk sparked interest from the audience and open a debate. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
Description | Interview for BBC radio 4, Farming today |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | The purpose of the interview was to talk about how we can reduce food waste during postharvest, with a focus on the potato sector. We discussed about the research work carried out at the Plant Science Laboratory, Cranfield University, where ethylene supplementation has been used for sprout control. This research will have a direct impact for the processing potato industry since the most utilised commercial sprout suppressant has now been banned for its use. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000f5j3 |
Description | Oral presentation on the HaPI dissemination event |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Around 80 people attended the event, including industrialists, academics, and researchers. The presentation of the project aim and the main findings that far, as well as the expected impact for UK potato and onion industries (viz. breeders, growers, agronomists) raised interesting questions and debate afterwards. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |