Abstract:
The study of effect of crude extract from climing lily Gloriosa supperba Linn. Seeds on polyploid induction of watermelon cv. Petch F1 in vitro was experimented on watermelon shoots multiplied in vitro. Watermelon shoots were immersed in liquid MS medium containing crude extract from climbing lily seeds which was previously analyzed the colchocine content. The crude extract colchicine concentrations used were 0, 0.01 and 0.05 percent for 12, 24 and 36 hours which were compared with synthetic colchicine of the same concentrations and immersion period. The treated shoot were subcultured to modified semisolid MS medium + 1 mg/l IAA. Survival rate, LD50, growth, morphology, guard cell size, chloroplast number and chromosome number were examined. It was found that survival rate and growth of watermelon shoots significantly decreased when crude extract concentration and immersion period increased which was similar to what happened when synthetic colchicine was used. The chromosome study in vitro root tip cells revealed that control Petch F1 watermelon had 22 chromosome while some of the plants treated with climbing lily seed crude extract had nearly 44 chromosome. Statistically bigger size of guard cells and larger number of guard cell chloroplast were found in the plants treated with crude extract which indicated that they probably were polyploid.