The effects of colchicine on banana stem apex

Abstract

The cultivation of traditional varieties of banana in Brazil has suffered from major pests and diseases. The breeding of new strains of banana based on the duplication of chromosomes via treatment with antimitotic agents has been proposed as a way of introducing disease resistance into the hybrids produced by banana breeding programs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the action of colchicine in the apex of diploid banana using an antimitotic at different concentrations and exposure times. Apexes of diploid banana 1318-01 were used as plant material. Colchicine was used at concentrations of 0 (control), 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0 and 12.5 mM under agitation (20 rpm) for periods of 24 and 48 h. We assessed the survival rate of plants subjected to colchicine. The highest survival rate of the explants (91.7%) in 2.5 mM colchicine was found for 24 h of exposure to the antimitotic, and a survival rate of 50% was found at a concentration of 7.5 mM colchicine for 48 h of exposure. The study showed that the survival of the explants was relatively high after the exposure of diploid 1318-01 to colchicine for a period of 24 h.