Field Crop 2025, Vol.8, No.1, 32-40 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/fc 33 may be related to some regulatory signals, such as microRNA and epigenetic regulators (Kondhare et al., 2021). Of course, light is only one factor. Soil is also very important. The high potato yield in Acireale, Sicily, is likely directly related to the fertile soil there (Scavo et al., 2022). The impact of climate may be more intuitive-it is common for tuber yields to decrease in drought years, which also makes people more aware of the practical significance of irrigation and water management in planting (Aliche et al., 2019). 2.2 The dominant role of genetic factors in tuber size and yield Of course, in addition to the environment, the "foundation" of the variety itself also plays a significant role. Some genes are directly linked to tuber size and yield. Genes such as ABF4 and CDF1, which have been studied more, have shown the ability to improve yield and quality under normal and adverse conditions (García et al., 2018; Carrillo et al., 2023). In addition, researchers have found a number of genetic markers related to yield, which can be used to determine whether certain traits will appear or whether a variety has a greater advantage in the market. This information is very useful for breeding. Potatoes of different genotypes perform differently in different environments. Some varieties are more "tough" and can produce stable yields even if they are planted in other places (Tatarowska et al., 2024). 2.3 The comprehensive effect of genetic and environmental interactions on yield Having said that, environment and genetics are important, but whether they are "compatible" is also critical. Often, differences in potato yields are the result of a combination of genotype and environment. Scientists call this phenomenon genotype × environment interaction (GEI). This type of interaction has been observed in many places, for example, the same variety in the Mediterranean and Poland can produce very different results (Ma, 2024; Tatarowska et al., 2024). To figure out which varieties perform best in which environments, researchers use analytical methods such as AMMI and GGE biplots. These tools can help identify varieties that can both produce stable high yields and adapt to different conditions. For breeders, this kind of analysis is very valuable, especially when faced with uncertainties such as climate change. 3 Genetic Basis of Potato Tuber Size and Yield 3.1 Some key regulatory factors of tuber size (such as StCDF1) When it comes to potato tuber size, the gene StCDF1 cannot be avoided. This gene was first noticed because of its role in photoperiod regulation of tuberization-it can inhibit StCO1/2 and then increase the expression of StSP6A, thereby promoting tuber formation (Kondhare et al., 2019). But things are not that simple. StCDF1 has a significant positive correlation with another gene called StBEL5, which is also a key regulatory factor in the tuber development process. The two seem to form a synergistic regulatory mechanism. Another interesting discovery is that when AtCDF1 of Arabidopsis is ectopically expressed in potatoes, the tubers actually show stronger "sink" characteristics in the field-in short, more photosynthetic products are transported to the tubers, and eventually the tubers become larger and the yield increases (Carrillo et al., 2023). 3.2 Research progress on QTL positioning In fact, it is not just a single gene. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) positioning is also helping us understand which genetic regions are related to tuber yield and shape. For example, there is a major QTL on chromosome 10 that is strongly correlated with tuber shape, and some signals can also be seen on chromosomes 4 and 6 (Park et al., 2024). In addition to shape, traits such as weight and specific gravity have also been located on chromosomes 5 and3. Interestingly, GWAS studies often use Manhattan plots to find SNP sites that are particularly highly correlated with target traits. Taking tuber yield and quality as an example, the hotspot area on chromosome 5 often appears with starch content and late blight resistance; chromosomes 4 and 10 are more inclined to tuber appearance (Yuan et al., 2024). These genetic "hotspots" may be breakthroughs in functional gene research in the future (Figure 1).
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