FPS Sweet Potato Custom Testing, Treatment and Maintenance Services
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Custom testing and disease elimination services are available through execution of a custom Service Agreement with the University. To initiate this service, please contact FPS at: Phone (530) 752-3590 or
E-mail at [email protected]. Current Service Prices
Effective July 1, 2025
Meristem Tip Culture and Virus Testing
Clearly label the selection(s) to be submitted and include a list of items with name, date and contact information. Sweet potato storage roots may be submitted any time of year. Typically, to receive virus tested plants in late spring/ early summer, roots are submitted to FPS by the previous October. Occasionally, a selection that is more difficult to grow in tissue culture can take longer to process. A signed business agreement with the University of California is required to contract with FPS for these services, and payment is due in full at the time candidate materials are submitted. Materials can be held on a proprietary basis at the request of the customer (see maintenance agreement). Maintenance of a Sweet Potato SelectionAfter FPS has completed meristem tip culture and virus indexing, a customer may elect to have FPS maintain nuclear stock of the selection in its virus-tested sweet potato collection. FPS will maintain mother plants for each contracted selection, and provide the annual virus testing and repropagation required to maintain the selection's nuclear status. Materials can be held on a proprietary basis at the request of the customer. The maintenance fee does not cover any additional propagation of plants for distribution to customer or growers, which can be provided at the standard price. A signed business agreement with the University of California is required to contract with FPS for these services. Every effort is made to ensure that our tests and procedures are conducted to maximize success. Due to biological factors and the limitations of the technology, our testing cannot guarantee virus-free plants. Refunds cannot be made for treatments which are not successful. The fees established for this service are intended to be sufficient to cover the actual costs incurred by the University and will be reviewed periodically and revised as necessary. Excising Sweetpotato Microshoot Tips for Virus Elimination Therapy |
This procedure eliminates harmful virus(es) in sweet potato selections. Meristem tips are excised from infected plants and grown in tissue culture for approximately 6 months until a small plant with shoot and roots is formed. These plantlets are then established in the greenhouse and tested for virus. Virus testing involves a graft index into the indicator plant Ipomoea setosa (Brazilian morning glory) and PCR testing. After the candidate sweet potato selection is determined to be negative for viruses, FPS returns one 49-cell tray of rooted plants with approx 40 living plants per flat (or 30 unrooted cuttings) that have been propagated from a single meristem plant. Additional plants and cuttings may be requested by the customer and are provided at the standard charge.