Biotechnology to Improve Indigenous Potato Cultivars in Bangladesh

Present study was under taken with a view to improve the yield potential of indigenous (local) potato varieties (IPVs). Six IPVs viz., Lal Shill, Patnai, Shill Bilati, Lal Pakri, Sada Gutti and Challisha were selected as experimental materials. These IPVs are popular among the potato growers of the Northern part of Bangladesh because of their high value due to high culinary quality and storability. In the present study three in vitro techniques viz., i) heat treatment followed by meristem culture for the development of virus free planting materials; ii) induction of microtuber for rapid production of virus free planting materials, iii) induction and evaluation of somaclonal variation were employed for the varietal improvement of the selected IPVs and iv) polyploids were induced via colchicine treatment and those were evaluated in the field level. This work explained that colchicine treatment enhances plant height, results in more fresh weight of plant and number of leaves, which consequently increase the number of tuber and finally increase total fresh weight of tubers of local potato varieties of Bangladesh.