Articles
In vitro propagation and disease testing as a means of producing healthy planting materials to support root and tuber crops production in South Africa
Article number
1113_34
Pages
225 – 232
Language
English
Abstract
Sweet potato plays an important role as a traditional as well as commercial crop in South Africa.
Fungal diseases such as Fusarium wilt (FW) caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. batatas) and viruses such as Sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV) and Sweet potato leaf curl virus (SPLCV) are spread in planting material due to vegetative propagation and need to be eliminated or reduced.
FW is the main fungal disease and is a constraint for vine growers (sweet potato nurseries), as the yield of saleable vines is reduced.
Co-infection of SPLCV and SPFMV is the most important virus problem of sweet potato in South Africa, causing 30% or more yield loss.
Thus, for successful sweet potato production, major efforts are needed to eliminate fungal and viral diseases from the mother stock that is used to produce sweet potato planting materials.
A sweet potato disease testing scheme is run together with tissue culture technology for rapid multiplication of mother stock to provide disease-indexed planting materials.
The process typically consists of: (i) indexing of mother plants to indicator plant Ipomoea setosa (I. setosa), (ii) testing of mother plants using serological antibody based techniques and confirmation of virus status using RT-PCR and PCR, (iii) establishment of in vitro cultures from disease-free indexed mother plants, (iv) in vitro maintenance of mother stock (v) in vitro propagation of virus-free plants, (vi) bulking up and dissemination of disease-tested stock plants, and (vii) growing healthy sweet potato crop using disease-indexed vines as a planting material.
During 2011/2012, the scheme issued 22314 seedling tray plantlets and 1010 nursery bags to vine growers, producers, commercial entities and emerging farmers, while 9030 4-node cuttings were provided to international clients.
The scheme has directly benefited 15 to 17 commercial clients per year and numerous producers, thus keeping the South African sweet potato industry profitable.
Fungal diseases such as Fusarium wilt (FW) caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. batatas) and viruses such as Sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV) and Sweet potato leaf curl virus (SPLCV) are spread in planting material due to vegetative propagation and need to be eliminated or reduced.
FW is the main fungal disease and is a constraint for vine growers (sweet potato nurseries), as the yield of saleable vines is reduced.
Co-infection of SPLCV and SPFMV is the most important virus problem of sweet potato in South Africa, causing 30% or more yield loss.
Thus, for successful sweet potato production, major efforts are needed to eliminate fungal and viral diseases from the mother stock that is used to produce sweet potato planting materials.
A sweet potato disease testing scheme is run together with tissue culture technology for rapid multiplication of mother stock to provide disease-indexed planting materials.
The process typically consists of: (i) indexing of mother plants to indicator plant Ipomoea setosa (I. setosa), (ii) testing of mother plants using serological antibody based techniques and confirmation of virus status using RT-PCR and PCR, (iii) establishment of in vitro cultures from disease-free indexed mother plants, (iv) in vitro maintenance of mother stock (v) in vitro propagation of virus-free plants, (vi) bulking up and dissemination of disease-tested stock plants, and (vii) growing healthy sweet potato crop using disease-indexed vines as a planting material.
During 2011/2012, the scheme issued 22314 seedling tray plantlets and 1010 nursery bags to vine growers, producers, commercial entities and emerging farmers, while 9030 4-node cuttings were provided to international clients.
The scheme has directly benefited 15 to 17 commercial clients per year and numerous producers, thus keeping the South African sweet potato industry profitable.
Authors
S.M. Laurie, P.N. Myeza, M.J. Mulabisana, K.G. Mabasa, A. Thompson, R. Greyling, M. Cloete, P.O. Adebola
Keywords
disease-testing scheme, Fusarium wilt, maintenance planting material, sweet potato viruses
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