African Journal of Virology Research

ISSN 2756-3413

African Journal of Virology Research ISSN 2756-3413 Vol. 14 (9), pp. 001-008, September, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

The effect of plant growth regulators, cultivars and substrate combination on production of virus free potato minitubers

Taha Roodbar Shojaei1*, Niaz Ali Sepahvand2, Mansour Omidi3, Hamid Reza Abdi2 and Sepehr Mohajeri Naraghi4

1Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Islamic Azad University, Karaj Branch, Karaj, Iran.

2Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, Karaj, Iran.

3Department of Agronomy and Crop Breeding, College of Agriculture, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.

4Young Researchers Club, Islamic Azad University, Karaj Branch, Karaj, Iran.

Accepted 16 July, 2020

Abstract

Nowadays large amounts of potato seed in the world is produced by in vitro virus free minitubers. Therefore, evaluation of commercial varieties in production of virus free potato minitubers is critical. In this study virus free plantlets of 4 potato cultivars of Agria, Marfona, Sante and Burren were achieved with meristem culture method. The meristem-derived plantlets which had optimum growth were transferred to the MS-medium without any growth regulators to stimulate the same vigor of the plantlets. Then DAS-ELISA test was conducted and the effects of different level of 2 growth regulators either singly or in combination were evaluated on single node culture of potato. In all cultivars the best and most economical medium for single node culture was MS medium without growth regulators. Afterwards virus free plantlets were selected and transferred to the green house. The effects of substrate combination including 4 planting bed in minituber production were evaluated, after 90 days, numbers and diameters of minitubers for each cultivar were counted and recorded. Marfona had the greatest number of minitubers and Agria had the lowest. There are no any significant differences in minituber diameter between the cultivars. A mixture of peat moss and sand in the ratio of 1:1 was proved to be the best for minituber production.

Key words: Potato, plant growth regulators, single node culture, substrate combination, minituber.