Evaluation of Salt Tolerance and Proline Accumulation in Korean Potato Cultivars (Solanum tuberosum L.) using In Vitro Culture

Salt tolerance in cultivated Korean potatoes(Solanum tuberosum L.) was evaluated through in vitro salt medium culture and proline concentration as affected by the salt treatment was analyzed. Various levels of NaCl (0, 75, 150, 225 mM) were added to the MS medium for salt treatment. Although the growth of all cultivars was inhibited by NaCl treatments, relatively normal shoot and root growth was observed at NaCl 75 mM treatment, while the growth was very poor at NaCl 150 and 225 mM. The shoot lengths in cv. Haryeong, cv. Superior, cv. Jayoung, cv. Dejima and cv. Desiree were better than others. At low salt medium, the shoot weights of cv. Dejima and cv. Superior were heavier than the ones of other cultivars. Then, at high salt medium, cv. Seohong and cv. Superior showed heavier shoot weights than others. Root emergence was observed in seven cultivars(cv. Seohong, cv. Superior, cv. Jayoung, cv. Haryeong, cv. Hongyoung, cv. Desiree, and cv. Sante) at NaCl 75 mM and in three cultivars(cv. Seohong, cv. Superior, cv. Haryeong) at NaCl 150 mM. There was no root in all cultivars at NaCl 225 mM. Meanwhile, proline concentration was dramatically increased by the NaCl treatments in all cultivars(p<0.001). Then, any clear correlation was not observed between salt tolerance and the proline concentration. Proline concentration was relatively lower in the cultivars showing a good shoot and root growth than in the ones showing a bad growth. We are conducting more detail research to determine the relationships between salt tolerance and proline. In conclusion, based on the shoot and root growth in salt medium culture, cv. Haryeong, cv. Seohong, cv. Superior, and cv. Desiree were relatively salt tolerant.