Regeneration of Two Zimbabwean Potato Cultivars

The yield potential of potato (Solanum tuberosum) is seriously threatened by viral diseases as well as insect pests and its production is nearly impossible without using insecticides that are available for lepidopteran and coleopteran insect control. Although the chemicals are effective, they tend to be both expensive, damage the environment and have potentially harmful effects on human health. Moreover, problems of insect resistance to pesticides are increasing. Another complication is associated with the fact that these insecticides are effective only if they are applied at the appropriate stage. This needs proper timing based on understanding of the insect’s development and feeding habits. It is against this background that incorporating insect resistance into the potato germplasm can be considered a worthwhile undertaking. This could reduce costs, increase yields, protect the environment and ease the requirements of scouting and chemical procurement. This book describes experiments designed to provide protocols for regeneration that will then allow experiments aimed at development of two locally significant potato cultivars transformed with economically important transgenes.