Influence of Mercuric Chloride on Survival and Suitability for In Vitro Regeneration of Three Sweet Potato Landraces (Ipomoea batatas L.) Produced in Benin

Abstract

Ipomoea batatas L. is tuberous root plant of great nutritional and economic importance in Benin. In vitro culture of this plant allows in a short period time, to produce a planting material through the establishment of efficient disinfection and micropropagation protocol. This work aims to study the survival and in vitro regeneration of three sweet potato landraces (''Dokoun'', ''Vobodouaho'' and ''Djlodou''). Four doses of mercuric chloride (C1: 0.05%, C2: 0.1%, C3: 0.5%, C4: 1%) were tested for disinfection and two Murashige and Skoog (MS) media, M0 (MS without growth regulator) and M1 (MS + 1mg/l of BAP + 0.01 mg/l of NAA) was used to evaluate the regeneration of the plantlets. The results showed that 0.5% mercuric chloride had the best survival rate (83.33% for ''Djlodou'', 61.08% for ''Vobodouaho'' and 52.75% for ''Dokoun''). Of the two media used, M0 has more adapted to landraces ''Vobodouaho'' and ''Dokoun'' while M1 contributed to a better development of the landraces ''Djlodou''.