STUDIES ON SOMACLONAL VARIATION IN ORNAMENTAL PLANTS

A total of 336 leaf disk callus-derived Begonia x elatior plantlets differed from control plants in flower morphology, flower size, plant height, plant morphology and number of flowers per plant.
In 1000 regenerants from leaf disks of Saintpaulia ionantha L., a range of somaclonal variation such as flowering time, tubular corolla, non-flowering regenerants, variegated and serrated leaves, number of flowers per plant and variation in flower size were seen.
Flower color was stable in both Begonia and Saintpaulia plants.
Somaclones of Begonia and Saintpaulia with desirable traits were selected in the MV1 generation, micropropagated, and evaluated for their stability in the MV2 and MV3 generations.
The differences in variance and SD values of the selected traits of Saintpaulia and Begonia indicated a decrease in variability in the subsequent MV2 and MV3 generations.
Our results suggest that selected somaclones of the MV1 generation can further be subjected to micropropagation for stabilizing their characters in the subsequent generations.

II International Symposium on In Vitro Culture and Horticultural Breeding

S.M. Jain

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1993.336.48