CELL SELECTION OF SWEET POTATO IPOMOEA BATATAS (L.) FOR RESISTANCE TO LOW POSITIVE TEMPERATURES

Abstract

Currently interest is increasing to the sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) much because this plant is rich in inulin, which is used in many medicinal foods, including those for diabetes patients. However, cultivating sweet potation in Russia is problematic because the plant does not grow at temperatures below 10°C. Therefore, it is expedient to develop novel sweet-potato varieties and hybrids featuring resistance to low positive temperatures. This may be achieved using in vitro selection of plant cells, in particular callus tissue, for resistance to low temperatures. We obtained callus tissue from the leaf plates of the Jewel variety of sweet potato grown under aseptic conditions. The tissue was cultivated at 14°C for 30 days in a medium supplemented with the adaptation enhancing preparation Mival at 150 mg/L. The survived cultures were used to regenerate sweet potato plants.