ORGANOGENESIS IN CULTURED ADVENTITIOUS ROOT SEGMENTS AND IN PROTOPLAST-DERIVED CALLUS OF SWEET POTATO

Abstract

One cm segments from adventitious roots of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) will regenerate shoots when cultured on Murashige and Skoog salts and vitamins plus either sucrose (1-3%) or fructose (1-6%). The best source for adventitious roots is sweet potato shoot cultures maintained in Magenta vessels. A low concentration of cytokinin (0.02 mg/liter) promotes shoot formation. Higher levels of cytokinin (0.1-0.5 mg/liter) encourage callus growth. The maximum average number of shoots formed per root segment attained thus far is 0.5. Attempts are being made to increase the frequency of shoot formation. Regeneration of shoots from roots also may be a useful method for obtaining plants from protoplasts of sweet potato. Protoplasts can be isolated from mesophyll tissue and petioles of in vitro grown plants. Plating efficiency of up to 12% routinely can be obtained. Shoot formation directly from callus is sporadic; root formation is more frequent.