Production of potato (Solanum tuberosum) pre-basic seed through tissue culture in Katibougou, Mali

Abstract. Abdoulaye M, Blay ET, Eleblu JSY. 2021. Production of potato (Solanum tuberosum) pre-basic seed through tissue culture in Katibougou, Mali. Cell Biol Dev 5: 90-104. In Mali, the main problem limiting the productivity and production of potatoes is the non-availability of quality seeds in adequate quantities and at affordable prices. This study proposes two experiments on the techniques adopted in Mali's IPR/IFRA plant biotechnology laboratory to meet quantity and quality improvements. That evaluation of the effects of 3 concentrations of coconut water and 2 of potassium nitrate on potato plantlets growth in vitro and of 2 physiological ages and 3 substrates on potato in vitro plants' establishment, post in vitro growth, and mini tubers production in vivo. The first experiment was a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 12 treatments replicated 4 times. The second was a factorial experiment with 2 factors (physiological ages: 2 levels and substrate: 3 levels) in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with 6 treatments replicated 4 times. The first experiment showed that the culture medium M7 (MS+40 mL/L of coconut water +250 mg of potassium nitrate) had promoted all plant growth parameters (shoot emergence, plant height, number of nodes, leaves and roots, and plant fresh and dry weight) after 30 days of in vitro culturing. The lower concentrations of coconut water (40 mL) and potassium nitrate (250 mg) per liter of MS medium had significant and positive effects on all the in vitro growth parameters after 30 days. The second experiment showed that the plantlet weaning age of 25 days and the post-flask culture substrate S1 (only soil) provided the best plant survival percentage at 20 days after transplanting in vivo. The substrate S2 (soil and cow dung 2:1) positively affects plant stem length, stem diameter, fresh and dry biomass formation, tuber yield, tuber numbers per plant, and tuber grading size B (tubers with a diameter of less than 28 mm). The substrate composition S1 (only soil) has significantly affected the weight loss (12.50%) of tubers stored within 8 weeks. The weaning age was 45 days, and the substrates S2 (soil and cow dung 2:1) and S3 (soil and cow dung 1:1) significantly reduced the number of sprouts per tuber and sprouts number per eye on tubers. In addition, the results indicate that for the better and more rapid growth of potato plantlets in vitro culture, the coconut water concentration used as a supplement to MS medium should be 40 mL per liter of medium. The proportion of cow dung used in substrate composition should not exceed the soil and cow dung ratio 2:1 for maximum post-transplanting plant re-establishment rate in vivo and rapid maturity of mini-tubers.