Effect of colchicine on plant growth and leaf nutrient acquisition of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) cv. Mosambi

Abstract

The present study was conducted on sweet orange cv. Mosambi mutants, developed by treating with different doses of colchicine (0.05%, 0.10%, 0.15% and 0.20%) and raised on Jatti Khatti rootstock. Two years after the field establishment of plants, the developed mutants were examined in terms of alterations in growth parameters and leaf nutrient acquisition. Colchicine had both inhibitory and stimulatory effects on the mutants developed at different doses. Reductions in stem girth and TCSA were recorded at 0.05% and 0.20% of colchicine treatment. Mutants developed at 0.10% and 0.15% colchicine concentration, had stimulatory effect on plant growth parameters. Higher nutrient acquisition was noticed in the leaves of mutants developed at 0.10%-0.15% doses, while lower macronutrient acquisition was recorded at 0.05% and 0.20% doses. Variation induced in the mutants by colchicine indicated that both lower and higher doses of mutagenic treatments may give rise to the mutants of economic importance and indicating its potential use as a mutagen.