Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla, 171 001, (Himachal Pradesh).
*CPRI Publication No. 1813.
The present study reports the first successful androgenesis and regeneration of androgenic plants in tetraploid (2n=4x=48) Indian potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars. Androgenesis occurred only in four cultivars, viz., Kufri Badshah, Kufri Chipsona-1, Kufri Chipsona-2 and Kufri Lalima and one TPS parental line, JTH/C-107, when the anthers were cultured on Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium supplemented with 60 gl−1 sucrose, 2.0 mgl−1 D-calcium pantothenate, 0.5 mM cysteine, 1.0 mM ascorbic acid, 0.5% activated charcoal, 8.87–17.74 μM N6-benzyladenine, 2.0 gl−1 gelrite and either 0 or 60 gl−1 starch under a 16-h photoperiod (approximately 20–30 μmol m−2 S−1 light intensity) at 28°C. Maximum androgenesis was obtained in JTH/C-107 (0.86%) followed by cv. Kufri Chipsona-2 (0.44%). Androgenesis was, however, not always accompanied with the regeneration of embryos. In cvs Kufri Badshah and Kufri Chipsona-1, the androgenic embryos did not regenerate into plantlets, while in cv. Kufri Chipsona-2 regeneration efficiency of the embryos was the least. But successful establishment of regenerated androgenic plants was only in cv. Kufri Chipsona-2. This study showed that some of the tetraploid Indian potato cultivars might have the androgenic competence, which could be further improved by modification of physical and chemical factors during anther culture. Besides, the regeneration competence of androgenic embryos can also be improved by modification of culture medium. The results have been discussed in relation to genetic control of anther culture efficiency in potato vis-à-vis independent genetic control of androgenic competence and regeneration efficiency.
