To find out why some potato varieties are better at resisting diseases, you can use a few easy methods, even if you have only 10 types to study. First, you can look at specific genes already known to help plants fight diseases. Scientists have found some genes in potatoes that protect them, so you can check if those genes are present or different in your tolerant varieties compared to the others by using simple lab tests like PCR and sequencing.

Another way is to see which defense genes in the potatoes are switched on or become more active when the plants face disease. You can use tests like RT-qPCR or RNA sequencing to measure this. If some genes are more active in the tolerant varieties, those could be the reason for their resistance.

You can also compare the whole genomes (the complete genetic makeup) of the tolerant and susceptible varieties. By looking for differences, you might find special genes or genetic regions that help with disease tolerance. If you’re able, you could pool together samples from tolerant and susceptible varieties (bulk analysis) and look for genetic differences using simple genotyping methods.

you can check for well-known DNA markers that are linked to disease resistance in potatoes. These are like special flags in the DNA that scientists already know about, and they can be tested in your varieties with basic lab procedures.

Using these approaches together will help you understand the genetic reasons behind disease tolerance in your potato varieties, even without large scale experiments or hundreds of samples.

Medhanie Mehari It depends on the pedigree of your potato plants. If they have resistance genes from modern varieties, it will be easier to find DNA markers. However, if they represent old original germplasm, you will need to consider generating segregating populations through true seed propagation for these two varieties.