Studies on Micropropagation of Potato Cultivars through Direct and Indirect Morphogenesis

Abstract

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the prominent crops capable of nourishing the world’s population. Potato is exceeded only by wheat, rice, and maize in world production for human consumption (Ross, 1986). Potato tubers give an exceptionally high yield per acre, many times that of any grain crop (Burton, 1969) and are used in a wide variety of table, processed, livestock feed, and industrial uses (Feustel, 1987; Talburt, 1987). The potential of the potato crop was realized in India soon after independence and the Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla was established in 1949 and took a leading role for the improvement of potato crop through conventional breeding techniques. Potato crop occupied an area of 1.2 million hectare in our country with a total production of 23.5 million tones. It is a perishable commodity and its harvest time (March-April) coincides with the rise in temperature in the plains. Now when the country’s population has crossed one billion mark, there is an urgent need to improve the quality and quantity of the cultivar varieties in our country.