Effect of colchicine incubation time on tetraploid induction of Kaempferia rotunda

Abstract

Kaempferia rotunda is introduced as an ornamental ginger with attractive foliage. Colchicine is well known as an anti-mitotic chemical that is widely used for chromosome doubling to improve several ornamental cultivars. The effect of colchicine incubation time on tetraploid induction of K. rotunda was studied. In vitro young shoots of K. rotunda were used as planting materials for treating with 0.2% colchicine on semi-solid MS medium for 0, 2, 4, 8 and 12 days. After the treatments, shoots were transferred to a semi-solid MS medium supplemented with 17.8 μM 6-benzyladenine. All data were collected in the M1V4generation. It was found that the survival rate of the treated plants decreased as colchicine incubation time increased. All young shoots treated with colchicine for 12 days died within one month. Using flow cytometry, the maximum of tetraploid induction percentage (40%) was obtained from the young shoots treated with colchicine for four days.