Efficient Method for Micropropagation of Potato Through Minituber Production

Micropropagation of four varieties of potato viz. Kufri Badshah, Kufri Chandramukhi, Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Sindhuri was achieved through the production of minitubers. Shoot nodal segments (1.0 cm) from in vivo grown plants (1–2 month-old) were excised, surface sterilized with mercuric chloride (0.1%) and cultured on half strength Murashige and Skoog medium. The shoots obtained in vitro were multiplied through subculturing after three weeks on fresh medium having same composition. Five times shoot multiplication per cycle was achieved in all the four varieties. The plantlets were rooted in liquid half strength MS medium with indole-3-butyric acid (1.0 mg/1). Complete plants thus obtained were hardened and transferred to soil. These green house grown plants produced minitubers after 2 1/2 months. The developed procedure can be commercially exploited for multiplication of elite germplasm of potato.