Exploring Somaclonal Variation in Potato Breeding: Mechanisms and Applications for Enhancing Crop Yields

This study focused on enhancing crop yields, particularly in densely populated regions such as Bangladesh. Two widely grown potato cultivars, Diamant and Cardinal, were selected for enhancement through the in vitro culture of dedifferentiated tissue. The core objectives of the research encompassed callus induction, plant regeneration from callus to produce somaclonal varients, screening of somaclonal variants based on morphological characteristics, and field evaluations to assess growth and yield performance.

Key findings highlighted the success of callus induction, with an impressive 98% yield for Diamant and 86% for Cardinal. This achievement was realized through the utilization of a semi-solid MS medium supplemented with 2.5 mg/l 2,4-D, where inter-nodal explants displayed superior responses. The optimal medium for shoot regeneration was identified as MS with 2.0 mg/l KIN and 0.5 mg/l NAA, resulting in notable shoot regeneration rates of 86% for Diamant and 78% for Cardinal. In the field, Somaclones exhibited remarkable advantages. They displayed increased stem height, reaching 56.4 cm (Diamant) and 50.0 cm (Cardinal) after 70 days of planting, surpassing the heights of 49.6 cm (Diamant) and 44.2 cm (Cardinal) observed in parental clones. Furthermore, mini-tubers harvested from Somaclones were significantly heavier, averaging 361.0 g (Diamant) and 300.0 g (Cardinal), while parental clones produced mini-tubers with an average weight of 169.6 g (Diamant) and 159.3 g (Cardinal). Impressively, Somaclones also displayed a higher number of tubers per plant, producing 33.6 (Diamant) and 30.2 (Cardinal), compared to parental clones, which yielded 18.6 (Diamant) and 14.9 (Cardinal) tubers per plant.