Preliminary Test of Polyploidy Induction in Cotton (Gossypium arboreum) Using Colchicine Treatment

Abstract

Two local varieties of Gossypium arboreum, PM2 and PM3 were treated with colchicine solution for polyploidy induction. Two colchicine solutions, colchicine solution # 1 (0.1% colchicine) was derived from powder sold by Sigma and colchicine solution # 2 (0.5% colchicine) from drug tablets for gout treatment. Three experiments were undertaken which were, Experiment 1: apical meristem dropping with colchicine solution # 1; Experiment 2: seed treatment with colchicine solution # 2. Experiment 3 : apical meristem dropping with colchicine # 2. All were compared with the untreated (water treatment) controls. The results showed % germination of PM2 and PM3 after seed treatment to be lower than those of the controls. The same were found with their heights. Eleven, nine and three presumably polyploidy plants of PM2 in Experiment 1, PM3 in Experiment 1 and PM3 in Experiment 2 respectively were found to have stomata sizes of 24.9%, 34.9% and 31.4% increased and stomata frequencies of 24.2%, 46.5% and 45.9% decreased compared to those of the controls respectively.