Page 125 - PC2019 Program & Proceedings

PLANT CANADA 2019

S35. Mutational genetics in diploid potatoes and pre/post-harvest control of toxicants
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Fofana, B. ; A. Somalraju ; K. Ghose ; D. Main ; J. McCallum
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1 Charlottetown Research and Development Centre
2 Texas Tech University
Cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the third most consumed food crop after rice and wheat.
Potato is an auto tetraploid crop species having a highly heterozygous genetic base and a complex
genome making its genetic studies tedious. Recently, diploid potato breeding has regained interest in the
potato genetics community. Genetically, diploid potatoes are easy to work with and can be used in the
cultivated potato breeding process as genetic resources and also they can be grown on their own as
varieties. However, diploid breeding continuum faces many challenges including anti-nutritional factors
and self-incompatibilities. Whereas conventional breeding strategies contributed to the releasing of
varieties with low SGA, substantial resources are still required to minimizing these anti-nutritional
factors. Recently, we developed and characterized an ethyl methane sulfonate mutagenized pre-breeding
diploid potato population for identifying lines with low anti-nutritional factors. The data will be presented
and discussed in relation to the high potential for diploid potatoes as a complement to tetraploid potatoes
and in pre-and post-harvest management contexts.

Bourlaye Fofana (bourlaye.fofana@canada.ca)

S36. Recent advances in hexanal based packaging technologies to enhance shelf life of fruits
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Subramanian, J. ; G. Paliyath ; L-T. Lim ; K. Subramanian
1 University of Guelph
2 Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

Hexanal, a natural volatile produced by plants, has been shown to enhance fruit retention and shelf life of
several tropical and temperate fruits, when used as an emulsion for spraying or dipping
(https://www.idrc.ca/en/project/enhanced-preservation-fruits-using-nanotechnology-cifsrf-phase-
2). However, tender fruits such as berries are not benefited by this application due to excessive handling
and related damage. Further regulatory issues are relatively easier to tackle when such product is applied
as a post harvest treatment. To safely package hexanal and allow its release based on a natural trigger, we
tested several approaches including some potentially nano-technology based methods to deliver hexanal
precisely during packing and transit. Some of these approaches include the development of bio-
degradable, nano-sachets, hexanal ‘pills’ and electro-spun fibers- all of which contained pre-determined
doses of hexanal that will be released after packaging and during transit. Results of these ‘smart- delivery’
technologies will be discussed in this presentation.

Jayasankar Subramanian (jsubrama@uoguelph.ca)

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