CALLUS INDUCTION AND VIRUS FREE POTATO MINITUBER PRODUCTION THROUGH MERISTEM CULTURE

Abstract

The experiment was carried out by taking the facilities of the laboratory of Biotechnology Department, SAU and the laboratories of Plant Tissue Culture, Molecular Biology and Plant Virology, Department of Plant Pathology, Sher-eBangla

Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, during the period of July, 2016 to August 2017. The experiment was conducted with a view to establish a protocol for in vitro production of virus free mini-tubers, using potato meristem as explant collected from potato sprouts of three popular potato varieties viz. , Granola, Diamant and Cardinal. Plant growth regulator GA3 (400 ppm/L) was used to assess the influence on sprouting ability. Among the selected potato cultivars, sprouting efficiency was observed at 400ppm/L GA3 treatment within short period of time in Granola variety. The effect of different combination and concentration of 2, 4-D, BAP and IBA was used along with fresh MS media to inoculate meristems of potato sprouts. Six different combinations of 2, 4-D, BAP and IBA with a control treatment were used in the experiment. The several concentrations of 2, 4-D (2, 4-D: 0.125, 0.25, 0.37, 0.50, 1.0, 2.0 mg/L) BAP (BAP: 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2 mg/L) and IBA (IBA: 0.25 and 1.50 mg/L respectively) in the experiment. The maximum (0.74 cm) callus size observed in Granola within a very short (2 days) period of time while treated with T 3 (0.25 IBA+0.25 2, 4-D +1.0 BAP). Granola gave the highest (9.32 cm) values in respect of length of shoot, number of shoots/plantlets (4.33) and root length (7.14 cm) along with maximum (15.00) number of leaves/plantlets whereas Cardinal gave minimum (3.10 cm) values in respect of length of shoots/plantlets, maximum (1.33) number of shoots/plantlets and number (4.00) of leaves/plantlets was found in Diamant variety. Granola showed maximum (8.44 cm) length of root while minimum (1.87 cm) length of root was found in Cardinal variety among the selected cultivars. Over all Granola showed better performances from meristem tissue culture and plants were found normal and free from potato viruses as they were tested through ELISA test.