THE USE OF X RAYS TO INDUCE SOMATIC MUTATIONS IN SAINTPAULIA
A method of obtaining mutant plants from x ray treatment of petioles of a diploid variety of African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha) is described. Vegetative propagation of new plants from petioles given 2000 r and 3OOO r gave a 10.06 and 21.38 per cent increase in mutant plants above the average value observed in controls of the same variety. Many different mutant types were produced, some of which may have sufficient merit to become successful named varieties. In addition to some desirable mutants a large group were clearly inferior in growth rate and in ornamental value. Some of the desirable mutants may represent types not previously known in named American African violet varieties. Additional recessive mutations could probably be recovered by selfing and seed propagation of the plants grown from irradiated petioles. This has not yet been done. The technique of inducing mutations with ionizing radiation offers an alternate method to standard hybridization for obtaining additional genetic variability. Once a desirable characteristic has been induced this can be propagated and reirradiated. Mutant characters can thus be added stepwise. Useful ones are kept and the undesirable ones discarded. Present indications are that almost all the induced mutant plants grown from irradiated petioles of African violets are nonchimeric with the result that the mutant characters almost always persist through repeated vegetative propagations. The high percentage of nonchimeric plants is presumably due to the fact that a new plantlet (or shoot) can originate from a single epidermal cell. A special application of the method would be to induce further desirable changes in sterile forms where standard breeding methods cannot be used readily. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab., N.Y.
- NSA Number:
- NSA-15-007201
- OSTI ID:
- 4119357
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-4667
- Journal Information:
- African Violet Mag., Vol. Vol: 13; Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-61
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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