Production of healthy seed cane in Tucumán, Argentina

Abstract

Since 2001, the Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC) has been working on the“Vitroplantas” Project. Ninety thousand sugarcane plantlets of commercial varieties are produced annually through in vitro meristem culture, in order to eliminate systemic diseases caused by bacteria and viruses. Sanitation of plant material is achieved through in vitro culture of apical meristems from donor plants, previously hot water treated and grown for three years under greenhouse conditions, with anti-aphid screens. Systemic diseases are evaluated in both meristem donor plants and micropropagated plantlets using different molecular diagnostic techniques. It is well known that in vitro plant tissue culture can produce somaclonal variations, which consist of genetic changes in cultured cells and tissues. In order to guarantee that seedlings propagated in vitro are identical to the parental variety, molecular markers that quantify and detect somaclonal variation are routinely applied. Thus, the aim of this project is to guarantee healthy and genetically pure plantlets for their plantation in the field. After in vitro micropropagation and testing, plantlets undergo an acclimatization process in an especially adapted greenhouse at the EEAOC. In order to avoid dehydration of plantlets, this process takes place in a greenhouse with very high relative humidity (RH=80%-100%) and low light intensity. After acclimatization, two other stages of conventional field propagation (Basic and Registered fields) are carried out before the seed cane is finally distributed among sugarcane growers. The implementation of the “Vitroplantas” Project has greatly improved the health and yields of sugarcane plantations in Tucumán, Argentina..

Keywords

• pureza genética
• micropropagación
• sanidad
• cultivo de meristemas