1Division of Plant Pathology, CPRI, Shimla-171 001, (H.P.).
2Division of Crop Improvement (Biotechnology Section), CPRI, Shimla-171 001, (H.P.).
*Publication No. 1612, CPRI, Shimla.
Apical meristems (0.1 to 0.2 mm in length) of seven important Indian potato cultivars, viz. Kufri Bahar, Kufri Chandramukhi, Kufri Chipsona-2, Kufri Giriraj, Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Pukhraj and Kufri Sutlej, were cultured in vitro on Murashige & Skoog (MS) medium directly without thermo and chemotherapy. The mericlones were indexed employing immunosorbent electron microscopy (ISEM). All these parental stocks were originally free from potato viruses A,M,Y and leafroll but had infection of PYX and PVS. Success rate of total virus elimination varied from 0 to 77%, depending on the cultivar and probably also on the virus titre in the parent stock. Mericlones once tested negative to the potato viruses with ISEM continued to remain negative upon subsequent subculturing over a period of 2 years.
