Abstract

Cryopreservation is a technology of high importance in the storage of plant germplasm for long periods; however, the practical application of this technology for the preservation of plant materials is useful only if it does not lead to the genetic changes in the plant of interest. In the present investigation, the genetic stability of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plantlets of the cultivars Agria and Marphona stored under cryopreservation and non-cryopreservation conditions was studied using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) technique. Also, flow cytometric studies were performed to detect if there were probably any changes in the level of polyploidy. Seven primer combinations were used in the AFLP studies. Agria plantlets kept under non-cryopreserved conditions were approximately of average 97% genetic similarity to those of the same cultivar stored under cryopreservation conditions. With the cultivar of Marphona, full (100%) homology was found between plantlets stored under cryopreservation and non-cryopreservation conditions. Comparative studies on the polyploidy levels of the plantlets of both cultivars conserved under two above-mentioned storage conditions indicated that cryopreservation technique did not cause any changes in polyploidy levels.

Key words: Cryopreservation, conservation, storage, genetic stability, potato.