Effects of Gamma Irradiation in Context of Palynological and Cytological Parameters on Narcissus tazetta cv. cicily white

抄録

Studies in pollen morphology and cytology were conducted using LM and SEM in control and gamma irradiated plants with 250, 500 and 1000 rad dosages in Narcissus tazetta cv. cicily white (Amaryllidaceae) to assess the effect of irradiation on these parameters. Pollens of control plants of Narcissus are boat shaped, monocolpate with reticulate exine where the lumina is circular and top of muri is flat. No change in apertural character was found in the pollen of irradiated plants while significant changes in exine ornamentation pattern comprising size and shape of lumina and type of muri was observed in all plants with all irradiated dosages. The changes in exine ornamentation involve structural elements of pollen exine and thus it is confered that the gene/s controlling pollen exine ornamentation are more radiosensitive than the gene/s controlling apertural character of pollen. The cytological analysis depicted a definite trend of increasing total chromosomal aberration percentages with respect to corresponding intensity of radiation.