Sweet potato virus elimination through tissue culture

Sweet potato virus elimination through tissue culture

Sweet potatoes are prone to attack by viruses. These viruses are transmitted by sap sucking insects such as aphids and white flies.The viruses invade the vascular plant tissues thereby affecting the normal plant physiological processes.

Plant performance is adversely affected reducing biomass and tuber yield.

Yields can be reduced by as much as 100% when plants are severely affected by viruses.

Plant tissue culture is when plant cells or tissues are cultured in a medium in the laboratory to give new plantlets.

Tissue culture facilitates elimination of viruses

Tissue cultured plants grow faster and are relatively uniform

Yield of biomass and tubers is high on virus free material