Elimination of SCMV from Sugarcane through Apical Meristem Culture

Sugarcane is an important cash crop in Pakistan which is the base of renewable energy sources like ethanol, biogas products and fertilizers. It is cultivated as commercial crop in 60 countries of 5 major continents, Brazil being the largest one. Pakistan is the 5th largest sugarcane growing country of the world and our multibillion sugar industry totally dependent on the fate of this crop. Unfortunately per acre yield of this crop in our country is lowest among the leading sugarcane growing countries of the world. The most important is the attack of several pathogens like bacteria, fungus, pests, mycoplasma and specially viruses including major viral diseases like mosaic, streak and ceria. Among all the viral diseases sugarcane mosaic virus is widely spread and a significant part of the crop (46%) is lost every year due to SCMV. Vegetative propagation of sugarcaen leads plants to carry pathogen titer generation after generation. Biotechnology plays its role in Virus free crops production through tissue culture. In plant tissue culture regeneration of virus free stock only possibel through apical meristem culture. Present work is a brief documentation of SCNV free plants production