Wild Potato, Solanum chacoense

Solanum chacoense is a widespread species in Argentina and Bolivia, adapted to a wide range of conditions.  It is known for having broad pest and disease resistances and has been frequently used in breeding with the domesticated potato.  This diploid, 2EBN species crosses easily with domesticated diploids.  Tubers are generally very bitter and inedible.  For more information, click on the information and growing instructions link above.

The cultivar ‘M6’ is an improved variety that is homozygous for the “Sli” gene that overrides self-incompatibilty, allowing diploid potatoes to self-pollinate.  By crossing M6 with domesticated diploids, you can produce domesticated diploids that can be inbred.  There is some evidence that M6 may be a hybrid of S. chacoense and either S. candolleanum or the domesticated potato, rather than pure S. chacoense.  When grown outdoors, tubers of this variety grow much larger than those of most species type plants.

The cultivar ’97H32-14′ is the result repeated selfing from an original cross between S. chacoense and a domesticated diploid.  It is homozygous for Sli, but has less wild traits than M6.  It has small tubers and short dormancy.  It is very fertile and will readily produce berries from self pollination.  You can use this variety to pollinate domesticated diploids, introducing self-compatibility.

When pollinating domesticated diploids with M6 or 97H32-14, all F1 progeny will be self-compatible, but heterozygous.  F2 progeny will segregate 1/4 self-compatible and homozygous, 1/2 self-compatible and heterozygous, and 1/4 self-incompatible.