Effects of Ionizing Radiations on Roses

II. Meiotic studies on rose cultivar ‘Pink Parfait’ and its gamma ray induced mutants

Abstract

A comparative study of the male meiosis in the rose cultivar ‘Pink Parfait’ and its two, Deep and Light pink flowered mutants was conducted. ‘Pink Parfait’ was found to be a segmental allotetraploid. The frequency of univalents and quadrivalents at metaphase I was higher in the mutants. Anaphase I revealed a higher incidence of lagging chromosomes in Deep pink mutant and an increased frequency of chromosome bridges in both the mutants. The deleterious effects of radiations were evident from the higher percentage of chromosomal aberrations and pollen sterility found in mutants as compared with the control.