Genetic transformation is considered as one of the most promising options for improvement of crop traits. Current transformation methods for sweetpotato depend on plant regeneration through organogenesis or somatic embryogenesis. Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration at a high frequency has been restricted to a few sweetpotato varieties. Three auxins namely: 2,4- dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 4-fluoroamphetamine (4-FA) and 4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) were investigated in this study for enhancing somatic embryogenesis from various plant organs of recalcitrant African sweetpotato cultivars. 2,4-D was found to be the best (p ≤ 0.05) for induction of embryogenic callus. Cultivar Bwanjule had the highest (20.2%) embryogenic callus frequency among the five African cultivars tested. The highest number of plants in this study was regenerated from the non-African cultivar variety Jonathan on media supplemented with 0.2 mg Zeatin. The emergence of roots from callus of recalcitrant Ugandan cultivars and the comparable high embryogenic responses in this work demonstrate the potential for regenerating plants from African cultivars that have not been regenerated before. The regeneration of roots in this work could be useful for the initiation of root cultures. The most important application of this work is in genetic transformation of sweet potato, particularly for improvement of resistance to weevils.
Authors: Abel Sefasi, Jan Kreuze, Marc Ghislain, Sandra Manrique, Andrew Kiggundu, Gorrettie Ssemakula, Settumba Mukasa, Abel Sefasi, Jan Kreuze, Marc Ghislain, Sandra Manrique, Andrew Kiggundu, Gorrettie Ssemakula, Settumba Mukasa
Contributors: Jane Maurine Gati, Jane Maurine Gati
Subjects: Varietal Selection
Publisher: African Journal of Biotechnology
Publication Date: November 22, 2012
Identifier: ISSN 1684–5315
Keywords: Embryogenesis, Ipomoea batatas, plant growth regulators, Plant regeneration
HOW TO CITE
Sefasi, A., Kreuze, J., Ghislain, M., Manrique, S., Kiggundu, A. and Mukasa, G.S.S. 2012. Induction of somatic embryogenesis in recalcitrant sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) cultivars. African Journal of Biotechnology, 11(94), p.16055-16064.