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Corn and potato starch as an agar alternative for Solanum tuberosum micropropagation


MAH Mohamed
AA Alsadon
MS Al Mohaidib

Abstract

Potato single nodes were subcultured onto fresh MS medium gelled with 0, 1 and 2 g/l of agar + 40, 50 or 60 g/l of commercial corn and potato starch (CS or PS, respectively). After 4 weeks of culture, the pH of medium supplemented with 50 or 60 g/l of CS or 60 g/l of PS was significantly decreased to 3.91 - 4.00. This reduction coincided with a significant increment in electric conductivity (EC) which was 172 - 214 ìmhos/cm-1 for media containing 50 or 60 g/l of CS, or 60 g/l of PS. Corn and potato starch had no significant effect in plantlet height nevertheless, they significantly increased the number of shoots/explant over the control treatment (2.5) which had 7 g/l of agar. The highest number of
shoots/explant (6.8) was achieved in medium with 50 or 60 g/l of PS + 1 g/l of agar. Plantlets developed on media with 40 g/l of CS or PS had higher shoot fresh and dry weight (p < 0.5) compared to those in the
control one. Media with 50, 60 g/l of PS or 60 g/l of CS and 50 g/l of CS + agar at 1 g/l significantly enhanced the percentage of dry weight. Moreover, 92 - 98% of plantlets were acclimatized to the greenhouse conditions regardless the type of gelling agent. The results suggest that the combination of agar and PS or CS could offer a firm support for plant tissues and could be successfully used for potato micropropagation.

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