[en] In vitro grown shoot cultures of two Indian potato varieties 'Kufri jyoti' and 'Kufri Chandramukhi' were subjected to gamma irradiation at 20 and 40 Gy. The irradiated shoot cultures were subcultured to yield a generation of plantlets. After 4-6 weeks of incubation, these shoots were transferred onto MS medium supplemented with benzylaminopurine, BAP (10mg/1) and sucrose (8% w/v) and incubated at 20 deg. C. The M₁V₃ plants were screened in vitro for late blight resistance by detached leaf method. The resistant plants were screened in M₁V₄ generation by artificial inoculation of sporangial inoculum on the pot sown plants. Chlorophyll persistence is a simple screening method for heat tolerance. Chlorophyll persistence of different plantlets showed that the percentage of injury was less in the case of plants, which had been obtained from irradiated material. In the case of control plants, there was one hundred-percent damage to the plants. The mutation frequency was calculated for characters like late blight resistance and heat tolerance (in vitro microtuberisation and chlorophyll persistence). The gamma ray dose of 40 Gy was observed to produce a higher mutation frequency

[en] In vitro cultured shoots of potato, cvs. 'Kufri Jyoti' and 'Kufri Chandramukhi', were irradiated with 20 and 40 Gy gamma rays. Microtubers, obtained from MIV3 shoots multiplied in vitro, were planted in pots. The resulting plants were screened for resistance to late blight, using detached leaf method. In 'Kufri Chandramukhi', 42% plants and in 'Kufri Jyoti' 36% plants, obtained from 40 Gy treatment, showed resistance to late blight. The frequency of resistant plants was lower from 20 Gy treatment. The progenies of putatively resistant plants were grown in field, and inoculated with sporangial inoculum of late blight fungus. The field grown progeny segregated for disease resistance, and approximately 56% plants showed resistance. During the next propagation, the frequency of resistant plants increased to 72%. For developing heat tolerance, microtubers obtained from 20 and 40 Gy treatments and in vitro multiplied M₁V₃ shoots were cultured at high temperature of 28C. In both varieties, the number of the microtubers per plant was highly reduced and the resulting microtubers had distorted shape but showed better germination (62%), even in early sowing at relatively higher temperature. Of the two radiation doses, the higher dose of 40 Gy gave better results in both the varieties. Heat tolerance was also assessed from chlorophyll persistence. The progenies from putative heat-tolerant plants were tested in field by planting at higher temperature in two subsequent generations. The heat tolerant plants segregated in each generation, but the frequency of heat-tolerant plants increased. (author)