RADIATIONS -INDUCED SOMACLONAL VARIATION IN SAFFLOWER

Tejovathi Gudipati

Abstract

   Seeds of 5 cultivated varieties of safflower viz. A-1, Manjira, APRR-3, Tara and BLY-652 were exposed to 0 - 45 Kr gamma radiations and germinated under aseptic conditions on half basal medium. Cotyledonary leaves of 5 days old seedlings were used for the regeneration   of   plantlets.  Cotyledonary   explants of higher doses of γ- rays (45Kr and 30Kr), completely failed to produce multiple shoots. While, all varieties exposed to lower doses i.e. 10, 5 and 1 Kr, produced multiple shoots.  Rhizogenesis was recorded in about 45 % of multiple shoots, which regenerated into plantlets. Of these, about 27.8 % plants survived up to   maturity with 0.8 % plants    sterile and 24.8% plants produced no seeds. The height of the regenerated plantlets   varied between 13.6 and   46.0 cm. While, dry­ weight ranged from 0.2 g to 3.4 g.  Number of heads per plant ranged from 0 – 4 and from each regenerated plant about 1 to 20 seeds were recovered.

Key words:  Somaclonal variants, induced mutage nesis