Sayma Serine Chompa

SYNOPSIS ON Virus Free Potato Minituber Production Through Meristem Culture Introduction: Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the important food crops of the world. It is grown in large areas around the world and ranks fourth importance after rice wheat and maize. Potato is an herbaceous dicotyledonous plant that propagated vegetatively through tuber; it is native to South America. Potato is used for human consumption, animal feed and as a source of starch and alcohol.Potato tuber is an excellent source of carbohydrates, protein and vitamins Mac Gillivar (1953). In the world, potato is cultivated 53,666 thousand ha of lands and production 752,632 thousand tons. In Bangladesh cultivated 4,30,255 ha of lands and production 82,05,470 metric tons. Potato is cultivated twenty three major growing areas in Bangladesh.In comparison to other agricultural crops, the seed cost of potato cultivation is much higher. Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) reported that the seed cost of potato is liable to 30 - 40% of total production cost. Bangladesh imported high yielding foreign potato varieties at the cost of above US $ 150.00 per quintal which engross large amount of foreign currency every year. Potato plants are frequently attacked by viruses such as PVX, PVY, PVA, PVS, PVM and PLRV being the most common though many other viruses can also be found. Among these viruse most serious viral problems PLRV, PVX, and PVY have been reported in Bangladesh and causes 10-90% yield losses.In many developing countries including Bangladesh, yields of root and tuber crops are significantly reduced due to seed borne diseases and pests. In vegetative propagated potato crops, once systematically infected with a viral disease, the pathogen is passed from one vegetative generation to next. There are approximately 23 virus and virus like organisms that cause disease in potato. The presence of viral disease is an important reason attributed to low yield of potato varieties in our country (Siddique and Hussain, 2012). Objectives: The proposed study will be undertaken to achieve the following objectives:  to develop reproducible protocol for producing of virus free potato seed tubers.  to produce and multiply virus free mini-tuber through meristem culture.  to assays true potato plants growing from mini-tuber against major potato viruses. Methodology: Expermental site: The experiment will be conducted in Molecular Plant tissue culture laboratory of Molecular Plant Pathology laboratory,Department of Plant Pathology, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207. Experimental Duration: The experiment will be conducted during July 2017 to june 2018. Design of the experiment: The experiment will be carried out in tissue culture laboratory and in pot under net house condition with Complete Randomized Design (CRD). Replication: 03 Treatment: 3 (Varities, mostly cultivated) Seed collection: Seed samples will be collected from different seed producing agencies. Plantlet sowing: Potato plantlet will be sown in the pot containing soil ratio1:1:1 (Sand:clay:compost). Intercultural operation: Weeding, irrigation, insecticide and fertilizer application as per necessary. Time frame of activities: Activities to be performed Duration (month) 1.Collection of potato samples and sproutation in moist chamber under aseptic conditions. 1 2.Regeneration and multiplication of potato plantlets in-vitro through meristem tissue culture. 2 3.Establishment and plantlets production at in-vitro condition. 2 4. Plantlets sowing in pots and acclimatization of potato plants. 1 5.After establishment, potato plants transfer into field condition and covered with net to avoid insect vectors infestation. 2 6.After establishment of plants under net condition The tubers will be collected from both experimental and control plants for next year. 1 7. Bioasssay in the following year. 3 Total 12(1 year) Conclusion: More research should be done to study and find out effective hormonal treatments suitable for potatoes during this investigation. Effective light intensity needed by these potato Varieties to grow in in vitro conditions should be studied in future. References: Mac Gillivray,Minges P.A.,(1953). Conveyor belts speed potato harvest. American Vegetable Grower. 1:11-21. Siddique, M.A.,Hussain,(2012). Production of local potato varieties (in Bangali). Bangladesh-Netherlands seed multiplication project, BADC, Dhaka. pp: 20. Signature of the Research Supervisor Signature of the Researcher Dr. Md. Belal Hossain Sayma Serine Chompa Professor Department of Plant Pathology Department of Plant Pathology Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University Sher-e-Bangla Nagar,Dhaka-1207 Sher-e-Bangla Nagar,Dhaka-1207 Cell:+8801784958887 Cell:+8801711988444 Email:serinesayma@gmail.com E-mail:mbhossainsau@yahoo.com