Abstract
Modern biotechnological applications in breeding programmes for economically-important crops like cassava begins with successful establishment of stable and active callus cultures for somatic embryos which can be genetically manipulated and induced into planting materials. We have investigated the effects of explants (leaves, stem petiole and axillary buds), auxin (2, 4-D) concentrations (8, 12 and 15 mg/l) and cultivar in the induction of callus cultures from local cassava varieties in Ghana - Tuaka, Afisiafi, Afebankye and Doku . Callus formation was successfully induced in all explants (leaf, petiole and auxiliary buds) from the four cassava cultivars. Generally, there were no significant differences in callogenesis of the different explants at the three different 2,4-D concentrations (p < 0.05) producing 75% callus for explants. The stem petiole or stem bark produced the least percentage of callus per cultivar at all the auxin concentrations. However, the leaf explants were superior in callus formation in all the cassava varieties. Although, statistically insignificant, the 8 mg/l 2,4-D concentration was visually the best in callus formation from explants both within and across the cassava cultivars. This study had shown that different cassava explants respond differently to tissue culture conditions established for callus culture formation.
Highlights
Among all the tuber crops grown in Ghana and other parts of Africa, cassava (Manihot esculenta) is the most largely grown and serves as the major tuber food crop for human consumption and as animal feed (Kay, 1973)
We have investigated the effects of explants, auxin (2, 4-D) concentrations (8, 12 and 15 mg/l) and cultivar in the induction of callus cultures from local cassava varieties in Ghana - Tuaka, Afisiafi, Afebankye and Doku
Calli were successfully produced from explants from each of the four cassava cultivars commonly grown in Ghana (Figure 2)
Summary
Among all the tuber crops grown in Ghana and other parts of Africa, cassava (Manihot esculenta) is the most largely grown and serves as the major tuber food crop for human consumption and as animal feed (Kay, 1973). The use of cassava cell and tissue culture techniques including microcuttings, somatic embryogenesis, androgenesis (anthers culture), gynogenesis (ovary culture), among others has great potential in generating disease-free planting materials for cultivation (Smith and Drew, 1990). Many laboratories have generated cassava plantlets from somatic embryogenesis using different varieties of cassava (Stamp and Henshaw, 1982; Smith and Drew, 1990), as far as we know, there has been no such work on cassava varieties in Ghana. Even in the case of those that have been exploited elsewhere, not much information is available on the variations different cassava explants undergoing callogenesis. Callus is an important material for establishing embryogenic culture and successful production of it from Ghanaian cassava would offer an opportunity for cultivar generation and germplasm storage. This study aimed to test the effect of factors 2,4-D concentration, explants type and cultivar on the callogenesis expression of cassava
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