EFFECT OF LIGHT, CO2, AND SUCROSE CONCENTRATIONS ON THE IN VITRO GROWTH OF WHITE POTATO (SOLANUM TUBEROSUM L.)

Abstract

Growth measurements of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cvs. Norland (NL), Denali (DN), and Kennebec (KN) were taken from 21-day-old plantlets grown in vitro. Studies were conducted in a growth chamber, with nodal explants grown in culture tubes with loose-fitted Magenta 2-way caps containing Murashige and Skoog salts with either 0, 1, 2 or 3% sucrose. The cultures received either 100 or 300 μmol m-2 s-1 photosynthetic photon flux (PPF), and the growth chamber was maintained at either 400 or 4000 μmol mol-1 CO2. All cvs. showed significant increases in growth on 0% sucrose media at 4000 μmol mol-1 CO2, indicating an autotrophic response. At 400 μmol mol-1 CO2, all cvs. showed an increase in total plantlet dry weight (DW) with increasing sucrose under both PPF levels. Within any sucrose treatment, the highest total DW for all cvs. resulted from 300 μmol m-2 s-1 PPF and 4000 μmol mol-1 CO2. At 4000 μmol mol-1 CO2, shoot DW declined with sucrose above 2% for DN and sucrose above 1% for NL at both PPF levels, suggesting that high sucrose levels may hinder growth when CO2 enrichment is used.