OVERVIEW OF in vitro PRESERVATION OF POTATO AND USE OF THE GENE BANK MATERIAL IN ESTONIA

At EVIKA, we have been preserving potato varieties, breeding lines and land-races in vitro as meristem plants for more than 30 years. Various experiments have been conducted to determine the effects of medium components, growth conditions and other factors on regeneration and the sub-culturing interval of in vitro plants. Based on these experiments, the optimal preservation medium and long-term preservation conditions in vitro for many varieties have been developed. Every 3.0–3.5 months, the potato plants regenerated from meristems are transferred onto growth-regulator-free propagation medium. At present, there are 454 potato varieties, breeding materials, land-races and 1026 meristem clones in our gene bank. The interest in varieties as genetic resources and in those with coloured flesh tubers is increasing. In EVIKA’s test field we have been testing meristem clones of variety ‘Blue Congo’. We have demonstrated the use of that variety for making salads; baked, boiled, mashed potato and even for French fries. In addition, the use of the genetic resources was started in a farm, where. 2000 kg seed tubers were produced from 4580 meristem plants of variety ‘V?ike verev’ in 2012. The main interests are: dark yellow flesh, content of antioxidants and use as a source for functional diet.