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Evaluating in-vitro regeneration potential for high betacarotene cassava (Manihot esculenta) clones


I.C. Okwuonu
S.S. Kahya
G.N. Nsofor
C.N. Egesi

Abstract

In-vitro regeneration potential for three high beta-carotene (pro-vitamin A) cassava varieties - UMUCASS 36, UMUCASS 37 and UMUCASS 38, and a control variety TMS 60444 were evaluated and optimized as a preliminary step towards the introgression of more nutritional and agronomic traits. Somatic embryos developed from in vitro plantlets were used for the production of callus tissues from which whole cassava plantlets were regenerated. The frequency of somatic  embryogenesis  (SE) for UMUCASS 36, 37 and 38 were 43% (10/23), 50% (8/16) and 43% (20/47) respectively while that for the TMS 60444 used as control was 64% (38/59). The regeneration efficiency expressed as the percentage of plant lines recovered from total number of cotyledon lines derive from UMUCASS 36, 37, 38 and TMS 60444 were 40% (2/5), 29% (2/7), 38% (3/8) and 67% (10/15) respectively. The regeneration efficiencies for the UMUCASS varieties were less than the control and thus require further optimization of the regeneration protocol for bulking of regenerated plantlets derived from these genotypes.


Keywords: UMUCASS Varieties, Regeneration and Agronomic Traits


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print ISSN: 0300-368X