The Response of Vegetable Sweet Potato (<i>Ipomoea batatas</i> Lam) Nodes to Different Concentrations of Encapsulation Agent and MS Salts

As an emerging technology, shoot encapsulation has been employed in germplasm conservation, distribution, and micropropagation of elite plant species. However, the production of synthetic seeds of sweet potato via non-zygotic embryogenesis requires a large number of embryos per cultured callus suspe...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Shehu A. Tadda, Xiaohua Kui, Hongjuan Yang, Min Li, Zhehong Huang, Xuanyang Chen, Dongliang Qiu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-12-01
Series:Agronomy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/1/19
Description
Summary:As an emerging technology, shoot encapsulation has been employed in germplasm conservation, distribution, and micropropagation of elite plant species. However, the production of synthetic seeds of sweet potato via non-zygotic embryogenesis requires a large number of embryos per cultured callus suspension and is labour-intensive. Here, we reported a simple method of encapsulating in vitro derived vegetable sweet potato nodal segments with sodium alginate, calcium chloride (CaCl<sub>2</sub>), and Murashige and Skoog (MS) salts. The nodes encapsulated with 4% sodium alginate (<i>w</i>/<i>v</i>) and 100 mM CaCl<sub>2</sub> were the most suitable for propagation. They had uniform spherical beads and took the least number of days to shoot and root emergence. These plantlets produced more leaves, roots, and long shoots. Further evaluation of the MS salts concentration revealed that the plantlets encapsulated and grown with ½ MS salts had the least days to shoot and root emergence. They also had a longer shoot, the highest conversion rate (99%), and the least leaf abscission (17%). Thus, the sweet potato nodal segments encapsulated with 4% sodium alginate, 100 mM CaCl<sub>2</sub>, and ½ MS salts could be used as excellent material for micropropagation, germplasm conservation, and exchange of sweet potato planting materials.
ISSN:2073-4395