Erika Tolentino-Dextre1, Angel Macedo-Ballico1, Carmen Tamariz-Angeles2 and Percy Olivera-Gonzales2
1 Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Santiago Antúnez de Mayolo National University, Universitaria s/n Av., Independencia, Huaraz, Ancash, Peru
2 Biodiversity and Genetic Resourses from Ancash Research Center, Faculty of Sciences, Santiago Antúnez de Mayolo National University, Centenario 200 Av., 02002 Independencia, Huaraz, Ancash, Peru
Tolentino-Dextre, E., Macedo-Ballico, A., Tamariz-Angeles, C. & Olivera-Gonzales, P. (2025). Effects of plant growth regulators on in vitro propagation of Solanum curtilobum, a threatened bitter potato. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 31(4), 690–696
Solanum curtilobum Juz. & Bukasov is a bitter potato, scarcely cultivated and placed as a vulnerable species. The effects of plant growth regulators (PGR) were evaluated to approach its micropropagation using Murashige & Skoog medium supplemented with sucrose 3%, phytagel 0.3% adjusted pH 5.7, 16/8 h photoperiod and at 20°C. The shoots of greenhouse plants were disinfected with 0.50, 0.75, and 1.0% NaClO. PGRs applied for multiplication were benzylaminopurine (BAP) or gibberellic acid (GA3) at 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 mgL-1, and 1.5 mgL-1 BAP + GA3 at 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 mgL-1, whereas indoleacetic acid (IAA) at 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 mgL-1 was used for rooting. In all experiments, PGR-free treatments were included as a control. There were no differences between the disinfection treatments and high explants survival percentage (> 80%), and reduced contamination (< 12%) were observed. In the multiplication, BAP (0.5–2.0 mgL-1) and GA3 (0.5 mgL-1) induced a higher number of axillary buds per explant, but combinations of both PGR did not gain better results. However, BAP (0.5–2.0 mgL-1) reduced areal part length, and GA3 or GA3 + BAP did not affect aerial plant length. For rooting, the indole-acetic acid (IAA) increased the number of roots achieving better results at 2.0 mgL-1, also this IAA concentration did not negatively affect the aerial growth. This is the first report about BAP, GA3, and IAA effects during in vitro growth and development of S. curtilobum. It could be useful to approach methodologies for its conservation by micropropagation and other future genetic research, where in vitro culture will be required.