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EMBRYO CULTURE TO ENHANCE EFFICIENCY OF COLCHICINE INDUCED POLYPLOIDIZATION IN GRAPEFRUIT

MUHAMMAD USMAN*, BILQUEES FATIMA, MUHAMMAD USMAN, WAQAR ABDUS SAMAD AND KARIM BAKHSH

Abstract: Different cultivars of grapefruit (Citrus paradisi L.) were explored for colchicine induced polyploidization using embryo culture on MS medium. Embryo germination was found to be highly genotype dependent on colchicine containing MS medium. The highest number of germinated embryos per seed was observed in cvs. Shamber and Frost Fresh 2.89 and 2.27, respectively, compared to other cultivars. Treatment of antimitotic agent colchicine arrested shoot growth in most of the cultivars whereas number of leaves was significantly higher in cv. Foster and Red Max Cane Foster (6.15 and 4.87, respectively) compared to control (2.17 each). Ratio leaf lamina was also higher in case of treated plants compared to control. Number of stomata decreased (11) while length and width of the stomata increased (2.9 and 2.4, respectively) in leaves of treated plants compared with control (2.3 and 1.7, respectively) plants in cv. Shamber. These putative hyperploid plants will be further confirmed for ploidy using chromosomal studies. The plants were shifted to greenhouse after acclimatization for further genetic characterization of ploidy and nucellar or zygotic origin of the plants.

Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad

^*Corresponding author’s e-mail: musman74@gmail.com