The quality of seed potatoes plays an important role in crop establishment, yield and profitability. However, while growers know that seed potatoes change physiologically during storage, there is currently no reliable way to measure this ageing process or predict how stored seed will perform.
Researchers led by Dr Nathan Tivendale at the University of Tasmania and the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture are using advanced omics technologies to investigate the molecular changes that occur as seed potatoes age.
In collaboration with the Western Australia Proteomics Facility and industry partners, the research team is using high resolution mass spectrometry-based proteomics to analyse thousands of proteins in stored seed potatoes. These data are being integrated with physiological and metabolomic measurements to build a more comprehensive picture of the biological processes associated with dormancy, sprouting and ageing.
The research has identified molecular changes and potential protein biomarkers associated with seed quality, providing a pathway towards more accurate measures of physiological age.
The next stage will focus on validating candidate biomarkers across potato varieties and storage conditions, with the longer term goal of developing practical tools to help growers optimise storage, improve seed quality and achieve more consistent crop performance.