Investigation of the effect of gibberellic acid (GA3), sucrose, and agar type on the micropropagation of some potato varieties by node culture

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a dicotyledenous species, which belongs to Solanaceae family. Due to its high nutritional value it is one of the main food sources after wheat, rice, and maize (Vanaei H., 2008). World potato production is about 385 million tons (FAO, 2014). The potato production in Turkey 4.16 million tons ranking twentieth place worldwide (TUİK, 2014). It has many diseases resulting in heavy yield loss. Specifically, viral diseases could lead to more than 50% reduction in harvest. Unless measures taken diseases could easily spread out other plantation areas. Production of disease-free tubers has become a primary concern of potato seed industry, which is solved by the combination of meristem and node culture commercially. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different GA3 concentration (control, 0.1, 0.25, 0.50, and 1.00 mg/L), sugar (table sugar, analytical grade sucrose, brown sugar and maltose each 30 g/L), and agar type (7.0 g/L plant agar, 2.5 and 3.5 g/L Gelrite) on the propagation of potato through node culture. The data recorded from each plantlet were height, number of nodes, average node lenght, dry, and fresh weight. GA3 test results showed that average plantlet height and number of nodes increased significantly depending on the variety tested. In sugar test while analytical grade sucrose and table sugar were better performers, maltose negatively affected the plantlet development. Only Gelrite agar at 3.5 g/L concentration increased the number of nodes in Louisana and Surya varieties tested. The results of this study suggest the use of GA3 between 0.1-0.5 mg/L with table sugar and standart agar on commercial scale.