Both cross- and self-incompatibilities were found to be the cause of the hybrid L. peruvianum and L. esculentum does not produce normal fruits with viable seeds (earlier paper). Coupled with poor germination, multiplication of this hybrid for breeding purposes is a problem.
Attempts were made to propagate F3 of this hybrid by tissue culture methods. Leaf segments on Murashige and Skoog (MS) inorganic salts, Gamborg's B5 vitamin, 30 g/liter sucrose supplemented with hormones IAA and BA, and solidified with 9 g/liter agar produced almost equal number of normal and abnormal plantlets. These normal plantlets have been transplanted to pots and are currently tested for the possibilities of somaclonal resistance against bacterial wilt (Pseudomonas solanacearum) and other diseases.