Development of an Axillary Bud Culture Technique for Fiji Disease Virus Elimination in Sugarcane

Abstract

A technique was developed for culture of axillary buds of sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrid) cultivar NCo310. Successful establishment was obtained following surface sterilisation (sodium hypochlorite 4% for 5 min), decontamination (100 mg L^-1 carbenicillin, 25 mg L^-1 nystatin and 100 mg L^-1 benlate) and a double heat treatment applied firstly to setts (single-bud vegetative cuttings; 50°C for 120 min) and then to the isolated axillary buds (61°C for 30 min). The most suitable bud culture medium consisted of half-strength Murashige and Skoog nutrients plus 8 g L^-1 agar, 30 g L^-1 sucrose, 2 mg L^-1 naphthalene-acetic acid and 500 mg L^-1 malt extract. Roots and hence plantlets could be developed for all cultures following incubation in distilled water. Decontamination and heat treatment resulted in eradication of pathogens from 94% and Fiji disease virus from 28% of the cultures.