The wild potato species germplasm is important in potato breeding to incorporate plant resilience to factors such as climate change. Based on field data and observations during several germplasm collection missions (1968 to 2018) in 16 countries in North, Central, and South America (around 300 missions), at the International Potato Center (CIP) Genebank were identified wild species with potential for cold tolerance.

The CIP Genebank conserves a wild potato species collection at -20ºC in long term storage. This collection consists of 2337 accessions that represent 140 wild potato species classified within the Solanum genus Petota section Solanaceae family, based on (Hawkes,1990; Spooner et al., 2004 & 2014). This diversity is conserved and distributed as a public good under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA).

The selection of wild species with potential for cold tolerance was supported by 50 years of experience on in situ and ex situ conservation of potato germplasm from an agronomist Alberto Salas. The species are from Perú and Bolivia. S. acaule Bitter; S. chomatophilum Bitter; S. megistacrolobum Bitter, grow in Andean highland habitats, distributed between 3700 and 4520 meters of altitude. These regions are characterized by annual precipitations of 700 mm average, annual temperatures of 7ºC and perpetual snows in the high mountains. In general, these species endure rainy summers, dry winters, and moderate frosts that coincide with the phenology of these species.