Production of herbicide-resistant sweet potato plants transformed with the bar gene

Herbicide-resistant sweet potato plants were produced through biolistics of embryogenic calli derived from shoot apical meristems. Plant materials were bombarded with the vectors containing the beta-glucuronidase gene (gusA) and the herbicide-resistant gene (bar). Selection was carried out using phosphinothricin (PPT). Transformants were screened by the histochemical GUS and Chlorophenol Red assays. PCR and Southern-blot analyses indicated the presence of introduced bar gene in the genomic DNA of the transgenic plants. When sprayed with Basta, the transgenic sweet potato plants was tolerant to the herbicide. Hence, we report successful transformation of the bar gene conferring herbicide resistance to sweet potato.