In Vitro Colchicine Treatment of 4x Blueberries, Vaccinium sp.

Abstract

Abstract Methods of producing 8 x plants from 4 x V. corymbosum clones through in vitro colchicine treatments were investigated. Colchicine concentrations and exposure times ranged from 0.001% to 0.2% and 1 to 14 days, respectively. Pretreatments designed to predispose the plants to the effect of colchicine also were investigated. Eleven 8 x plants and one 4 x -8 x chimera were selected from pretreated plants exposed to 0.025% or 0.05% colchicine. The superior treatment was 0.025% with a 24- or 48-hr exposure time in liquid medium. No differences were noted between warm/dark and cold/dark pretreatments. No differences were observed among 24-, 48-, 96-, and 192-hr growth intervals between cold pretreatment and colchicine treatment. However, a significant genotype effect in response to colchicine was found, both with respect to culture survival and polyploid induction.