Recent Advances in Virus Elimination and Tissue Culture for Quality Potato Seed Production

Abstract

High-yielding varieties and quality planting material are two important ingredients for harnessing benefits of modern production technologies in vegetatively propagated crops like potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). Low rate of multiplication, high seed rate, progressive accumulation of degenerative viral diseases, perishability and bulkiness are inherent problems associated with potato seed which result in non-availability of adequate quantities of quality planting material at affordable price. Inadequacy of quality planting material at affordable cost and high seed rate are often reflected in 40–50% cost of cultivation on potato seed alone. To circumvent some of these problems, several modifications such as tuber indexing for virus freedom, seed multiplication stages and seed certification standards have been developed and integrated with conventional potato seed production programmes. The advent of tissue culture, in which virus-free plants can be produced through meristem culture, maintained indefinitely under controlled conditions and multiplied in artificial media under sterile conditions in the laboratory throughout the year irrespective of growing season, has revolutionized seed production in potato world over. Recent developments in automation for microtuber and minituber production have further enhanced adaptability of these techniques in potato seed production. In addition to quality assurance through meristem culture, the micropropagation, microtuber and minituber production techniques ensure enhanced multiplication rate in initial stages of seed production. All these techniques with their possible integration in potato seed production are discussed in this chapter.