~ 371 ~ The Pharma Innovation Journal 2021; 10(6): 371-377 ISSN (E): 2277- 7695 ISSN (P): 2349-8242 NAAS Rating: 5.23 TPI 2021; 10(6): 371-377 © 2021 TPI www.thepharmajournal.com Received: 02-03-2021 Accepted: 08-04-2021 Shiwanand Pandey Department of Horticulture, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Modipuram, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India Satya Prakash Department of Horticulture, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Modipuram, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India Yogesh Prasad Department of Horticulture, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Modipuram, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India Arvind Kumar Department of Horticulture, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Modipuram, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India Vaishali Department of Agriculture Biotechnology, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Modipuram, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India Pooran Chand Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Modipuram, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India Gopal Singh Department of Plant Pathology, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Modipuram, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India Corresponding Author: Shiwanand Pandey Department of Horticulture, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Modipuram, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India Studies on the effects of different surface sterilization agents under in vitro culture of Pepino (Solanum muricatum Ait.) cv. Valentia Shiwanand Pandey, Satya Prakash, Yogesh Prasad, Arvind Kumar, Vaishali, Pooran Chand and Gopal Singh Abstract An experiment was conducted at the Tissue culture Lab Department of Horticulture, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Modipuram, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India during the year 2018-20. Effect of different sterilization agent for surface sterilization under in-vitro culture of pepino with completely randomized design (CRD) having four treatment duration (1.5, 3.0, 4.5, 6.0 minutes) and used mercuric chloride (HgCl2 0.1%), ethanol (70%), mercuric chloride (HgCl2 (0.1%) + ethanol (70%), sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) (70%) and mercuric chloride (HgCl2 0.1%) + fungicide (Bavistin) (0.15%) for surface sterilization agent. The response of different sterilization agents was evaluated on the basis on contamination percentage at 10 days after and survived percentage at 25 days after. Minimum contamination percentage (26.35) percent and maximum survival percentage (73.13) per cent was noted under HgCl2 (0.1%) treating for a period of 4.5 minute. Minimum contamination percentage (39.55) percent and maximum survival percentage (60.37) per cent was noted under ethanol (70%) treating for a period of 4.5 minutes. Minimum contamination percentage (31.55) percent and maximum survival percentage (68.07) per cent was noted under mercuric chloride (0.1%) + ethanol (70%) treating for a period of 4.5 minutes. Minimum contamination percentage (38.53) percent and maximum survival percentage (61.46) per cent was noted under sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) (70%) treating for a period of 4.5 minutes. Minimum contamination percentage (21.76) percent and maximum survival percentage (77.36) per cent was noted under mercuric chloride (HgCl2 0.1%) + fungicide (bavistin) treating for a period of 4.5minutes. On the basis of results obtained present investigations, it can be concluded that contamination and survival percentage of explants was vice versa to the duration of the treatment. Keywords: Contamination, fungicide, in-vitro survival, tissue culture 1. Introduction The pepino (Solanum muricatum Aiton), which is also referred to as pepino dulce in Spanish language, has been described as a succulent, juicy, and sweet fruit that is used mainly in desserts, although some cultivars have been used in salads due to their higher acidity content and grassy flavor notes (Rodriguez-Burruezo et al., 2011) [17] . In the pepino was proposed as a physiological model of the texture or firmness changes that occur during maturation and ripening (Heyes et al., 1994) [8] . The pepino fruit is a diploid (2n = 24) subtropical species and is also known as melon pear, melon shrub, or sweet cucumber. Native species from South America, more specifically from the Andes area of Peru and Chile, is widely distributed from Colombia to Bolivia. The pepino fruit served as an important crop in Pre-Columbian Andean cultures, and it is a member of the Solanaceae family. Pepino is one of the few that is domesticated and cultivated for food purposes (Daunay et al., 1995) [4] . Interestingly, most pepino research has been conducted in New Zealand, Spain, and Israel through their respective breeding programs (Rodriguez-Burruezo et al., 2011) [17] . Taxonomically, pepino is placed within Solanum subgenus Potatoe section Basarthrum (Correll, 1962; Anderson and Bernardello, 1991 and Anderson et al., 1996) [1, 3] . This section, characterized by the basal pedicel articulation (i.e., flowers fall off with pedicels attached, leaving only scars on the inflorescence axis), includes 11 species, the cultivated pepino and 10 wild species distributed through Central and South America. Pepino is normally self-pollinated, but insect pollination can boost up the fruit set. Flowering continues throughout the year but fruit set during winter would not attain the proper size. Apart from low temperature affecting fruit set, high temperature leads to shriveling of flower