M. Unnikrishnan

Studies on Micropropagation of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea Batatas): Modern Techniques for the Development and Improvement of Sweet Potato, Thereby Contributing to the Poverty Alleviation M. Unnikrishnan

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is adaptable to a broad range of agro ecological conditions and fits in low input agriculture. It is highly productive even under adverse farming conditions. Sweet potato is grown in more than 100 countries as a valuable source of food, animal feed and industrial raw material. It is a staple crop in many South East Asian and African countries. The application of new techniques for improvement of sweet potato crops, particularly including the exploitation of somaclonal variation, gene transfer by genetic transformation and somatic hybridization, requires the control of plant regeneration from tissue cultures. In this study different Micropropagation techniques such as Meristem culture for the development of virus free plants, Nodal culture, In vitro conservation or slow growth culture were conducted. . Results indicates that these are the best methods for the improvement of the crop.