EVALUATION OF IN VITRO TUBER INDUCTION ABILITY OF TWO POTATO GENOTYPES

The in vitro effect of growth regulators under cool white fluorescent light (for 16 h at 50 mu mol. m(-2) s(-1)) and dark conditions to accelerate microtuberization in potato cvs. Desiree and Cardinal were investigated. The axillary buds were selected as an explant, inoculated on MS medium augmented with and without growth regulators (BAP (6-Benzylaminopurine) and NAA (alpha-Naphthaleneacetic acid) to initiate microtuberization. Combination of growth regulators (NAA + BAP) in media produces callus or had no effect on culture. NAA in any concentration, alone or in combination with BAP promote callus formation only. BAP alone in low concentration (0.5 mg/l) proliferate shoot regeneration and while at high (1.0 mg/l) concentration it induces microtuberization in the dark by 63 percent of control. It was found that nutrient media, without growth regulator had higher yield and greater number of microtubers under both light (16 h) and dark conditions as compared to those cultured on media with growth regulator. However, study revealed that MS(0 )medium with vitamins and solidified agar free of growth regulators can be utilized for mass propagation and microtuberization under the optimized culture conditions.