ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Colchicine induced polyploidy in Sunnhemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) and Dhaincha (Sesbania bispinosa Jacq.) W. Wight

A mutation technique provides good exciting opportunities for modern plant breeding. Induced autotetraploidy has potential for genetic improvement of various crops species. The crops like Sunnhemp (2n=16) and Dhaincha (2n=24) are to diploid species, which are included in family legumunaceae and commonly cultivated as green manure in all over the India.

The M1 generation in the Sunnhemp and Dhaincha shows mitotic chimera changes due to colchicines treatment. Colchicines induced chimeric mutant showed variation in thickness and colour of leaves due to partitioning of diploid and tetraploid cells into different patches in early growth of plants but later on some days gradually normal conditions were restored in these plants. Mitosis in the chimeric mutants of both plants was highly irregular and resulting a mixoploid composition. The experimental study was done by using the root tips of M1 generation seeds as well as pollen sterility and stomatal Index of both the plants.