The effect of physical and chemical mutagens on phenotypic properties of in vitro African violet (Saintpaulia ionanta)

Document Type : Research

Authors

1 Research Group of Horticultural Plant Biotechnology, Department of Industrial Biotechnology, Academic Center of Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Khorasan Razavi Branch

2 MSc, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran

3 Faculty Member, Department of Horticultural Plant Biotechnology, Iranian Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research, Khorasan Razavi, Iran

4 Department of Horticultural Plant Biotechnology, Iranian Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research, Khorasan Razavi, Iran

Abstract

African violet (Saintpaulia ionanta) as a valuable potted ornamental plant needs to create new cultivar. The aim of this study was to investigate the induction of mutations using gamma ray and EMS (Ethyl methane sulfonate) on African violet under in vitro condition. Leaf, petiole and plantlet explants were obtained from sterile plantlets in MS culture medium containing 2 mg/l BA, 0.2 mg/l NAA, and 30 g/l sucrose with 7 g/l agar. Explants were treated with 0, 20 and 40 Gy of gamma rays or 0, 0.1, 0.3 and 0.6% EMS. Results shown with increasing the dose of gamma rays and EMS, the survival percentage and the number of regenerated plantlets reduced. Also, with increasing the dose of gamma rays, diversity and leaf morphological changes in form of color, shape, size and twisting increased but no visible changes in treated plants with EMS. In conclusion gamma irradiation under in vitro condition can be used as a suitable strategy to increase diversity in African violet.

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