OPTIMIZING IN VITRO PROPAGATION PROTOCOL AND ENSURING GENETIC FIDELITY OF STRAWBERRY (FRAGARIA X ANANASSA DUCH.) CULTIVAR 'CHANDLER' THROUGH ISSR MARKER ANALYSIS

The cultivated strawberry, an octaploid hybrid, holds significant commercial value globally owing to its aroma and color.The research aimed to develop an efficient in vitro protocol for propagation and assess the genetic integrity of tissue culture-derived plantlets using molecular markers.Results showed that treatment T 5 (3.0 mg/l 2,4-D + 2.0 mg/l BAP) was the most effective for callus induction, exhibiting the shortest duration and highest callus formation percentage.For shoot initiation and regeneration, treatment T 5 (SNP 1.0 mg/l + BAP 3.0 mg/l + NAA 0.5 mg/l) demonstrated superior performance, producing the highest shoot number, length and regeneration percentage.Root induction was most efficient with treatment T 4 (NAA 2.0 mg/l + BAP 0.2 mg/l), showing the shortest time for root initiation and highest root development percentage.Genetic fidelity was evaluated using ISSR markers, with 12 primers initially screened and 6 ultimately selected for analysis.Results revealed a high degree of similarity (91.66%) between in vitro raised plants and mother plants, indicating genetic uniformity.Somaclonal variation was minimal, with ISSR markers proving effective in detecting any discrepancies.The study underscores the significance of in vitro propagation for commercial cultivation of strawberries with implications for crop improvement programs and global competitiveness.This protocol, coupled with molecular marker analysis, offers a robust approach to ensure clonal fidelity and genetic stability in micro-propagated plants, supporting advancements in strawberry cultivation and germplasm preservation.