Analyses of virus elimination from asparagus seedlings by ascorbic acid and slow-freezing treatments

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25660019
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Horticultural science
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: SUZUKI TAKASHI 北海道大学, (連合)農学研究科(研究院), 准教授 (30196836)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): SHIMURA Hanako 北海道大学, 大学院農学研究院, 助教 (20507230)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: アスパラガス / ウイルスフリー化 / アスコルビン酸 / 凍結処理

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Asparagus virus 1 (AV-1) and Asparagus virus 2 (AV-2) have been considered as major pathogenic viruses that cause the reduction of productivity of asparagus. To prepare the virus-free asparagus in vitro culture for field production, we here tried to establish a new approach for virus elimination from asparagus by using ascorbic acid treatment and slow-freezing cryotherapy. Virus elimination was observed in seedlings treated by either ascorbic acid or slow-freezing, but there were differences in elimination rate among asparagus cultivars. In addition, enhanced growth of asparagus seedling after slow-freezing treatment was observed in some tested plants. AV-2 was more difficult to be eliminated from seedlings than AV-1, probably due to systemic infection by AV-2 in asparagus. Additional immunohistochemical analysis confirmed that AV-2 was localized in the leaf primordia and vascular tissue around shoot meristem of asparagus seedlings.

Free Research Field

園芸学