Abstract
In the Western highlands of Cameroon where sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is an inevitable staple crop during the dry season, farmers cherish local which are presently under the risk of extinction due to accumulation of pest and diseases. Guaranteeing sustainable Sweetpotato production in this region therefore requires providing farmers with disease free planting materials such as tissue cultures. This study was conducted to investigate the feasibility of introducing disease free planting materials from meristem culture of EX-KOLB, EX-GUZANG2, EX-WIDIKUM3 and EX-NKAMBE1 which are four regional sweetpotato varieties common in the Western highlands of Cameroon. Test tubes containing growing media and meristems from each of the varieties were labeled and laid out in a completely randomized experimental design (CRD) with four replications and four treatments. Data on the number of sprouted meristems, number of rooted meristems, number of meristems contaminated, number of meristems that died, average heights of developed plants, average number of nodes on the developed plants, and average number of leaves on the developed plants was collected over a period of 8 weeks at 2 weeks interval. Meristems from all the landraces sprouted in the media used and the differences in the mean number of sprouted meristem between the landraces were significant (P<0.05). EX-GUZANG2 gave the highest mean of sprouted meristems of (2.75) and EX-WIDIKUM3 the lowest (0.75). According to ANOVA response of meristems from the four landraces to the media used differed significantly only in number sprouted, number of contaminated and number dead meristems as well as number of nodes(P<0.05). No significant differences were observed with number of contaminated and dead meristems, rooting as well plant height, number of leaves and nodes formed(P>0.05).This genotype-dependent response to media used for in vitro regeneration by plants has been observed by many studies. However meristems from EX-GUZANG2 and EX-KOLB showed greater positive respond to this media and merit further studies for the purpose of this experiment.
Highlights
Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is a member of the plant family Convolvulaceae in the genus Ipomoea It is considered the most important species of economic importance within the genus (Titus et al, 2010; Scott et al, 2000a/b)
This study was conducted to investigate the feasibility of introducing disease free planting materials from meristem culture of EX-KOLB, EX-GUZANG2, EX-WIDIKUM3 and EX-NKAMBE1 which are four regional sweetpotato varieties common in the Western highlands of Cameroon
This study was carried out at the tissue culture laboratory of one of Cameroon government‟s Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD), located at Bambui in the Western Highland Agro-ecological zone situated at altitudes ranging between 1,100m and 2,000m above sea level (ASL)
Summary
Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is a member of the plant family Convolvulaceae in the genus Ipomoea It is considered the most important species of economic importance within the genus (Titus et al, 2010; Scott et al, 2000a/b). Sweetpotato is presently one of the crops being biologically fortified with micronutrients to help improve proven deficiencies in children and women across the developing countries found mainly in the tropics and subtropics. Research shows that besides sweetpotato‟s food usage, it is an important feed as well as reliable renewable raw material for fuel grade ethanol, biogas, biodegradable plastics, a myriad of bioproducts and value added chemicals which are highly demanded by the rapidly emerging global bioeconomy. To achieve both food and income security which is central to the sustainable development goals (Wambugu 2003; Clark et al, 2012), http://sar.ccsenet.org
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