The obtaining of narcissus plants free from potyviruses via adventitious shoot regeneration in vitro from infected bulbs

To obtain potyvirus-free narcissus plants, adventitious buds were regenerated in vitro on explants taken from bulbs of naturally infected plants. As a control, adventitious buds induced on explants from potyvirus-free plants were used. The buds were multiplied in vitro and acclimatised ex vitro. The presence of potyviruses was tested by indirect ELISA with monoclonal antibodies against a group of potyviruses (Agdia) five times at different growth stages. Seventy seven percent of adventitious buds produced from the infected plants were potyvirus-free. From this population, 74% were tested as potyvirus-free at the stage of acclimatisation. In the second and third growing season, as much as 97% and 98% of the plants remained potyvirus-free. Therefore, the method of virus eradication presented here can be recommended as the alternative one, for development of high-quality reproductive stocks in narcissus.