Partial Elimination of Viruses from Traditional Potato Cultivar ‘Brinjak’ by Chemotherapy and Its Impact on Physiology and Yield Components

Viruses are responsible for more than 50% of annual potato tuber yield losses and cause great economic damage. The traditional Croatian cultivar ‘Brinjak’ is important local growers because its economically profitable production as a gene pool future breeding programs. However, the full genetic potential cannot be exploited due to virus infection. In this study, we attempted eliminate M (PVM) S (PVS) from evaluate effects on physiological parameters yield. Shoot apices were isolated PVM + PVS-infected sprouts cultivated six weeks MS medium with addition 50 or 100 mg L−1 ribavirin. surviving shoot micropropagated. in vitro post-eradication period lasted 200 days. DAS-ELISA RT-PCR performed R0 R1 plants 90 days after acclimatization determine sanitary status plants. Chlorophyll fluorescence multispectral imaging at same time. success PVS elimination was 33% both ribavirin concentrations. neither concentration successful eliminating PVM. Plants mixed infection (PVM PVS) had severe disease symptoms compared PVM-infected plants, affecting photochemistry and, consequently, significantly lower number weight tubers per plant average single most generations studied. results indicate strong negative impact infections show importance