Genetic fidelity assessment of long term in vitro shoot cultures and regenerated plants in Japanese plum cvs Santa Rosa and Frontier through RAPD, ISSR and SCoT markers

In vitro propagation can be explored to overcome the constraint of limited planting material in plum. Although it ensures the production of plants in large number, but there are chances of somaclonal variations using this technology. Thus, clonal fidelity of in vitro raised plants should be checked to obtain true to type planting material prior to transplantation in the field. Genetic fidelity of in vitro cultures of plum (Prunus salicina) cvs. Santa Rosa and Frontier multiplied for 5 years (60 passages) through enhanced axillary bud proliferation was tested and compared with 2 year old in vitro raised and mother plants of respective cultivars using RAPD, ISSR and SCoT markers. Out of twenty-eight RAPD primers, eighteen produced 29 and 27 distinct bands in Santa Rosa and Frontier whereas, all of the fifteen ISSR primers screened generated clear reproducible bands in both the cultivars. In SCoT assay, eight primers out of twenty-six generated reproducible bands in both the cultivars. Homogenous amplification was observed in all the samples thereby confirming the genetic fidelity of tissue culture raised plants, thus suggesting that in vitro propagation using axillary buds is the safest mode for the production of clonal planting material in plum.