ARS | Publication request: Regenerating Virus-free Materials for USDA Heirloom Sweetpotato Cultivar Collection through the Meristem Shoot-tip Culture Technology

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: December 13, 2006
Publication Date: February 3, 2007
Citation: Ling, K., Hoy, M., Bohac, J., Jackson, D.M., Clark, C.A. 2007. Regenerating Virus-free Materials for USDA Heirloom Sweetpotato Cultivar Collection through the Meristem Shoot-tip Culture Technology. Meeting Abstract. National Sweetpotato Collaborators Group Progress Report, 2006. p. 4.

Technical Abstract: Using Real-time PCR technology, we previously determined that a number of accessions in heirloom sweetpotato collections were infected by one or more viruses, including Sweet potato feathery mottle virus, Ipomoea vein mosaic virus, Sweet potato virus G and Sweet potato leaf curl virus. Because these heirloom sweetpotatoes are an important part of U.S. sweetpotato germplasm collection and valuable genetic sources of materials for sweetpotato breeding, we decided to make a major effort to regenerate virus-free materials through meristem shoot-tip culture. A total of 73 lines, including 69 PI accessions and 4 local breeding lines, were put into tissue culture. So far, approximately two thirds of them (48 lines) have developed rooted plantlets. The other one third (25 lines) is still in the regeneration medium. Regeneration rate ranged from 5 to 71%, depending on the sweetpotato genotype. Preliminary tests with Real-time PCR showed that a large percentage of the regenerated plantlets are likely virus-free. More tests are underway and additional data will be presented.