Modified cassava starch as a cheap gelling agent for plant tissue culture

Plant tissue culture methodologies were developed five decades ago. However, expensive reagents and faulty technology transfer have prevented farmers in developing countries to benefit from these techniques. In Venezuela, cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a neglected crop harvested by poor farmers in marginal areas. Several constraints plot against large scale cassava cultivation, but the most important ones are the lack of high quality seeds, and low productivity. These constraints can be overcome by the use of high quality vegetative seeds produced by plant tissue culture methodologies. A first step toward technology transfer is the substitution of conventional media components by cheaper and locally available ones. Several modified starches were evaluated as substitutes for Phytagel (R) in growing different cassava varieties. Cassava stem cuttings were grown on Murashige and Skoog (MS) media containing different gelling agents (Phytagel (R), AIM TF-351, AIM TF-352 and AIM TP-212). Dry weight, number of leaves and roots, and plant height were compared between plants grown under different treatments. The results showed no significant differences in growth and multiplication rates between plants grown on Phytagel (R) and AIM TF-351 cassava starch. AIM TF-351 starch can be used as a successful and cheap gelling agent, to prepare media for the nationwide program of cassava seed production.