RESISTANCE SPECIFICITIES TO VIRUSES IN POTATO - STANDARDIZATION OF NOMENCLATURE

Potato viruses are prevalent worldwide and cause substantial economica l losses in the potato crop (Solanum tuberosum L.). Therefore, various types of resistance to potato viruses identified in cultivated and wi ld potato species are used in potato breeding programs and are briefly reviewed in this paper. However, the current nomenclature of virus re sistance specificities is confusing because it was adopted at an earli er time when several virus strain groups were believed to represent in dividual virus species and because it does not distinguish between str ain-specific and comprehensive resistance specificities. A consistent nomenclature is desirable to distinguish both currently known virus re sistances and any novel virus resistances detected in the future. A de scriptive and systematic nomenclature for resistance specificities is proposed which denotes (1) type of resistance (2) identity of Virus (3 ) the virus strain group(s) against which the resistance is effective (4) the virus strain group(s) against which the resistance is not effe ctive, and (5) the potato species in which the resistance is described .