Methodology of molecular diagnose of the Dashen Mosaic Virus for the certification of commercial clones of dashen in vitro plants

The quick propagation of Dasheen clones (Xanthosoma spp) and (Colocasia esculenta L.) through biotechnical techniques has generated a great demand of free of diseases lines, especially to the Dasheen Mosaic Virus, this pathogen, belonging to the potivirus group, is the most important viral disease that affect the crop leading up to 40% of yield losses. The UM-ELISA diagnostic useded in massive certification programs, with big advantages over other kinds of analysis, has a limit of sensibility that can allow escape of contaminated vegetal material. With the introduction of molecular techniques of diagnostic small viral concentrations can be detected in vitroplants. In the present work, the detection of the Dasheen Mosaic Virus using the technique of reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction is carried out. The established methodology was validated and lines of in vitro plants of dasheen were certified to be used in the micropropagation in biofactories. Xanthosoma Key words: Colocasia, DMV, healthy plants, RT-PCR,