In vitro strategies for selection of eye-spot resistant sugarcane lines using toxins of Helminthosporium sacchari

Abstract

In vitro strategies were applied for the selection of eye-spot resistant variants from susceptible sugarcane cultivar Co 419. Different selective units (callus and leaf) of the susceptible cultivar were subjected to sub-lethal to lethal doses of toxins (culture filtrate and partially purified toxin) of H. sacchari, with the objective of improving the efficacy of in vitro selection protocols. All the selective units gave more or less similar response with culture filtrate, but a distinct response was observed when leaf was subjected to partially purified toxin treatment. The response was characterised by the degree of resistance exhibited by the regenerated seedlings.