Application of Biotechnology on Potato Crop Improvement

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) belongs to the Solanaceae family. Potato is a crop of major economic importance worldwide. It play major role in national food and nutrition security, alleviation of poverty, generating income, and providing job opportunity in line with production, processing and marketing sub-sectors. Aim of this review is to how potato crop improved through biotechnology. Potato is a self-pollinated crop but is conventional propagated. Self-pollination or in breeding in potato leads to loss of vigour of the progeny and non- flowering. Plant biotechnology has traditionally encompassed the application of cell and tissue culture for crop improvement. Through applications of biotechnologies such as tissue and cell culture, genetic engineering, marker-assisted technologies, genome-assisted technologies or a combination of all the technologies improve resistance to major pests and diseases, tuber quality traits, nutritional value, salinity tolerant potato of potato yield and yield components. We conclude that application of biotechnology on potato plant improves yield, yield components and quality.

Author(s): Desta Bekele

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