Shooting responses of potato (<i>Solanum tuberosum</i> L.) varieties in liquid and solid media

Abstract

Potato seeds degenerate over time due to systemic diseases (viruses and bacteria wilt), whose detections are mostly evident during later stages of epidemiology. Potato varieties released by Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD) Bambui recorded a drop in yields of approximately 50% within 20 years indicating that the varieties had started degenerating and thus required cleaning. A study was conducted in 2012 and 2013 at IRAD Bambui (Cameroon) to evaluate the rate of shooting in four improved IRAD potato varieties: Cipira, Tubira, Mafo and Bambui wonder. Liquid and solid media stocks prepared according to the International Potato Center (CIP)’s protocol were used. A randomized complete block design with four replications was used. Number of shot out nodes and average shoot length were collected after 28 days. The average number of shot out nodes in liquid and solid media in all the varieties ranged from 87.5 to 100, with the solid medium yielding better results, 97.5 to 100% in all the potato varieties as compared to liquid medium, 8.75 to 97.5%. The average shoots length in the liquid and solid media ranged from 4.95 to 10.56 cm. The analysis of variance revealed that there were significant differences at p = 0.05 between potato varieties studied. The liquid medium showed better results (8.49 to 10.5 cm) in all the varieties compared to the solid medium (4.59 to 6.08 cm) but the plantlets suffered from vitrification and asphyxiation forming callus. From the results obtained, the following conclusions may be drawn: shoot proliferation of potato tissues are reduced in stationary liquid medium as a result of vitrification and asphyxiation; potato nodal cuttings have faster growth in liquid medium than in solid medium. It is therefore recommended that solid medium should be used over stationary liquid medium in potato micropropagation because the loss of plant tissues in the liquid medium as a result of vitrification and asphyxiation can be very high.

Keywords: Potato, media, growth, shoots, Cameroon

African Journal of Biotechnology, Vol 13(15), 1650-1656