PROPIONO-CARMINE SQUASH TECHNIQUE FOR MEIOTIC STUDIES IN ROSE

Abstract

Rosa is a large genus among the ornamental plants comprising more than 120 species ranging from diploid (2X) to octaploid (8X), with the basic chromosome number X=7. Cytological investigations in this genus were initiated in 1920 [1]. Since then several methods have been tried to analyse meiosis in roses but the cytological preparations have not been satisfactory. Swaminathan et al. [2] developed a simple propiono-carmine pollen mother cell (PMC) smear method for the plants with small chromosomes which was utilized by Shahare and Shastry [3] to study meiosis in garden roses with small chromosomes. The present study deals with an improved technique for preparation of PMC smears in roses. The experimental material consisted of Rosa hybrida cv. Folklore and its twelve induced mutants.