The Effects of Sucrose on in vitro Tuberization of Potato Cultivars

Miheretu Fufa and Mulugeta Dir

Abstract

Two potato varieties namely, ‘Hunde’ and ‘Ararsa’ were tested for in vitro Tuberization response under five levels of sucrose (40, 60, 80, 100 and 120 gram liter-1) in completely randomized design with 2×5 factorial combinations. The objective was to determine optimum concentration of sucrose for in vitro Tuberization. In both varieties, among the five concentrations of sucrose, Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 60 gram liter-1 sucrose exhibited a better response than the other concentrations in mean values of microtuber number, diameter, and weight and was found optimum. Accordingly, this medium gave an average value of (1.97 ± 0.02) microtuber number, (3.60 ± 0.04 mm) microtuber diameter, and (0.08 ± 0.002 gram) weight of microtuberin variety ‘Ararsa’ after 42.57 ± 0.58 days of culture. On the other hand, it gave mean value of (2.90 ± 0.031) microtuber number, (2.95 ± 0.01mm) microtuber diameter, and (0.06 ± 0.001 gram) weight of microtuber in variety ‘Hunde’ after 35.67 ± 0.58 days of culture.