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Purchase seeds or tubers of Solanum boliviense

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Description

Solanum boliviense is primarily a Bolivian species, but is found from southern Peru to northern Argentina.  A plant of poor soils, growing up to about the 13,750 foot elevation, where frosts occur fairly frequently.  Plants variable in form, from low growing rosettes to erect plants reaching about 15 inches in height.  Stolons two feet long or more.  Tubers small and round, reaching about an inch in diameter, and sometimes moniliform (forming chains).  Flowers blue to purple.

The specific epithet, boliviense, refers to the region of maximum diversity for this species: Bolivia.  While there is no completely standardized pronunciation for scientific names, the most common way to pronounce this species is probably so-LAY-num boh-lih-vee-EN-say.

Subramanian (2017) found that at least some accessions of this species have unusually high potassium content and unusually low dry matter (as S. megistacrolobum).

This species has been tentatively classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (Cadima 2014).

Resistances

This species carries a Potato Virus M resistance gene, Rm, on chromosome 11.

This species can survive frosts down to 22 degrees F (-5.5 C) (Li 1977, as S. sanctae-rosae).  Vega (1995) found that this species is more frost tolerant than domesticated potato.

Condition	Type	Level of Resistance	Source
Alternaria solani (Early Blight)	Fungus	Somewhat resistant	Jansky 2008(as S. megistacrolobum)
Drought	Abiotic	Somewhat resistant	Machida-Hirano 2015 (as S. megistacrolobum)
Frost	Abiotic	Resistant	Machida-Hirano 2015 (as S. megistacrolobum)
Fusarium sambucinum (Fusarium Wilt)	Fungus	Resistant	Lynch 2003 (including S. sanctae-rosae)
Globodera pallida (Pale Cyst Nematode)	Invertebrate	Somewhat resistant	Castelli 2003
Globodera pallida (Pale Cyst Nematode)	Invertebrate	Not resistant	Bachmann-Pfabe 2019
Globodera rostochiensis (Potato Cyst/Golden Nematode)	Invertebrate	Somewhat resistant	Castelli 2003
Heat	Abiotic	Somewhat resistant	Machida-Hirano 2015 (as S. megistacrolobum)
Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Colorado Potato Beetle)	Invertebrate	Somewhat resistant	Machida-Hirano 2015 (as S. megistacrolobum)
Meloidogyne spp. (Root Knot Nematode)	Invertebrate	Somewhat resistant	Machida-Hirano 2015
Myzus persicae (Green Peach Aphid)	Invertebrate	Somewhat resistant	Machida-Hirano 2015 (as S. megistacrolobum)
Pectobacterium carotovorum (Blackleg/Soft Rot)	Bacterium	Somewhat resistant	Chung 2011, Machida-Hirano 2015 (as S. megistacrolobum)
Phytophthora infestans (Late Blight)	Fungus	Somewhat resistant	Gonzales 2002
Phytophthora infestans (Late Blight)	Fungus	Resistant	Bachmann-Pfabe 2019
Potato Leaf Roll Virus (PLRV)	Virus	Somewhat resistant	Machida-Hirano 2015 (as S. megistacrolobum)
Potato Virus M (PVM)	Virus	Somewhat resistant	Marczewski 2006 (as S. megistacrolobum)
Potato Virus S (PVS)	Virus	Somewhat resistant	Santillan 2018 (as S. megistacrolobum)
Potato Virus X (PVX)	Virus	Resistant	Horvath 1989 (as S. astleyi)
Potato Virus Y (PVY)	Virus	Not resistant	Cai 2011
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (White Mold)	Fungus	Not resistant	Jansky 2006 (as S. megistacrolobum)
Synchytrium endobioticum (Wart)	Fungus	Somewhat resistant	Machida-Hirano 2015 (as S. megistacrolobum)

Glykoalkaloid content

Johns (1986b) found glycoalkaloid levels ranging from 1.2 to 26 mg /100 g for S. boliviense (including S. sanctae-rosae).  The primary glycoalkaloids was tomatine, but demmisine and commersonine were also present in some accessions.

Images

Cultivation

I have found seeds of this species easy to germinate using the standard conditions for S. tuberosum, although sometimes slow.

Towill (1983) found that seeds of this species stored at 1 to 3 degrees C germinated at 78 to 100% after 18 years (including S. megistacrolobum).

Bamberg (2018) found that alternating temperatures increased germination in this species.

Bamberg (1995) found that at least some accessions of S. boliviense are able to produce a significant amount of viable pollen even when temperatures exceed 100 degrees F for several hours during the day.  Flowering was reduced under these conditions.

Bamberg (2017) found a 110% increase in seed set in this species with supplemental applications of liquid fertilizer at four and seven weeks after potting.

Trapero-Mozos (2018) determined that this species will tolerate a temperature of 40 C after acclimation for a period of time at 25 C.

Breeding

Crosses with S. tuberosum

S. boliviense was used in the breeding of the variety ‘Conestoga’ (Plaisted 1989).

Female	Male	Berry Set	Seed Set	Germ	Ploidy	Source
S. boliviense (including S. astleyi, S. megistacrolobum, S. sanctae-rosae, and S. toralapanum)	S. tuberosum 4x	None	None			Jackson (1999)
S. tuberosum 2x	S. boliviense	Low	Low		Diploid	S. ajanhuiri
S. tuberosum 4x	S. boliviense (including S. astleyi, S. megistacrolobum, S. sanctae-rosae, and S. toralapanum)	Minimal	Minimal			Jackson (1999)

Crosses with other species

Jackson (1999) found 4-16% 2n pollen for varieties of this species.  Ochoa (1990) reported 5% 2n pollen for two accessions.

Female	Male	Berry Set	Seed Set	Germ	Ploidy	Source
S. boliviense	S. acaule	High	Moderate			Ochoa (1990)
S. boliviense	S. berthaultii (as S. tarijense)	High	High			Ochoa (1990)
S. boliviense	S. brevicaule (as S. alandiae, S. vidaurrei)	High	High			Ochoa (1990)
S. boliviense	S. candolleanum (as S. abancayense)	High	High			Ochoa (1990)
S. boliviense	S. candolleanum (as S. bukasovii)	Low	Low			Ochoa (1990)
S. boliviense	S. infundibuliforme	High	High			Ochoa (1990)
S. brevicaule	S. boliviense	High	High			Ochoa (1990)
S. candolleanum	S. boliviense	High	High			Ochoa (1990)
S. candolleanum (as S. coelestipetalum)	S. boliviense	None	None			Ochoa (1990)
S. candolleanum (as S. sparsipilum)	S. boliviense	Low	Low			Ochoa (1990)

References

Solanum boliviense at Solanaceae Source

Solanum boliviense at GRIN Taxonomy

Solanum boliviense at CIP