EXPLORING IN VITRO POLYPLOIDIZATION IN CHRYSANTHEMUM CULTIVARS: EFFECTS OF COLCHICINE CONCENTRATIONS ON MORPHOLOGICAL AND PLOIDY VARIATIONS

The promising research aims to determine the response of three chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum morifolium R.) cultivars to the concentration of colchicine on polyploidization of plantlets. Node cuttings of three cultivars of chrysanthemum, Pinka Pinky, Lolipop, and Maruta, received four different concentrations of colchicine (0.025%, 0.05%, 0.075%, and 0.1%), for four hours before being sub- cultured to MS media. Observations on the plantlets for morphological and ploidy levels ensued in comparison with the control treatment. Results showed significant variations among chrysanthemum cultivars in response to the colchicine concentrations. Triploids (3n) and Tetraploids (4n) were evident on plantlets of cultivar Pinka Pinky at colchicine concentrations (0.025%, 0.075%, and 0.1%) compared with other cultivars resulting in diploids and mixoploids. In the cultivar Pinka Pinky, the morphological variations emerged from the plantlets of the triploids (3n) and tetraploids (4n) in leaves and root numbers, plant height, stem segment number, and length. This recent study put a baseline for further study on the polyploidization of chrysanthemums using different sources of explant.