Kashmir Valley represents the richest repository of apple germplasm in India. A total of six cultivars based on commercial value namely Kullu Delicious, Gole Delicious, Lal Ambri, Raj Ambri, American Trel and Ambri Cross were studied using 38 morphological characters with main emphasis on fruit and leaf morphology. The fruit characteristics such as shape, size, flesh and skin colour, pH, TSS and fruit firmness are the most important market value traits of apple which together determine the quality of apple and its commercial success. All the six cultivars exhibited distinct characteristics with respect to these traits. Based on fruit quality traits, the cvs. Kullu Delicious, Lal Ambri and American Trel are highly acceptable in the Indian fruit market compared to other cultivars which have not attained commercial status as yet. All the six cultivars were found diploid with 2n=34. Chromosomal abnormalities such as univalents, precocious separation, non disjunction, disturbed anaphase and telophase, polysporads etc. were noticed during the male-meiotic analysis.

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For human beings food is the basic source of energy. Food preservatives are essentially a class of food additives used in food processing which limit the growth of dangerous microbes and extend the lifespan of food. The toxic effects of elevated concentration of food preservatives beyond their optimum level of use in foods were recorded by conducting an in vivo experiment in root meristems of Hordeum vulgare L. with the implementation of Sodium benzoate (SB) and Boric acid (BA). Four variable concentrations of food preservatives viz. 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0% were taken and treatment was given for 3 hours. Both preservatives impart various mito-depressive effects and abnormal chromosomal behaviour at all the treated concentrations in root meristems of Hordeum vulgare L. As concentration of doses increases, the active mitotic index (AMI) decreases and the phenomenon of chromosomal aberrations increases. The prevalent abnormalities reported were scattering, c-mitosis at metaphase and bridges at anaphase while stickiness, unorientation, laggards, etc. were also recorded. The result of present investigation elucidated that BA being a preservative imparts greater genotoxic anomalies in contrast to SB which affects to a lesser extent.

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Taiwanese Tricyrtis consists of two sections and four species, namely sect. Hirtae: T. formosana, T. lasiocarpa, T. ravenii, and sect. Tricyrtis: T. suzukii. The taxonomic treatments of the species in Taiwanese Tricyrtis have been complicated heretofore. To elucidate the inter- and intra-sectional relationships of the two sections, the detailed karyomorphological analyses of all four species were applied in the present study. The chromosome number and the karyotype of T. suzukii were reported here for the first time. Although all species showed the basic chromosome number, x=13, and the diploid chromosome number, 2n=26, the two sections were distinguishable by their karyotypes. However, the intra-sectional karyotypes showed the similarities, i.e., the three species (T. formosana, T. lasiocarpa, T. ravenii) in sect. Hirtae exhibited 2n=26=4Lst+14m+6sm+2st and T. suzukii in sect. Tricyrtis, 2n=26=4Lst+14m+5sm+1st+2t.

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Presently, 14 populations of Ageratum conyzoides L. have been meiotically studied from different geographical regions of Rajasthan. Of which, five populations are at tetraploid level (2n=40) and the remaining nine at diploid level (2n=20). Morphologically, populations vary on the basis of the floret color (from light purple to white). Meiosis of five populations i.e., three diploid cytotypes and two tetraploid cytotypes exhibit abnormalities like, early disjunction of bivalents, univalents, laggards, chromatin bridges, abnormal microsporogenesis and low pollen fertility.

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Seeds of eight species and one subspecies of Argyranthemum were experimentally collected, sown, germinated, cultivated and then, their ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) were molecularly studied to find interspecific relationships and phylogenetic trees of their relationships. The ITS base sequence of Argyranthemum callichrysum was found and described here for the first time. Argyranthemum frutescens subsp. succulentum and A. webbi were very closely related with each other concerning the phylogenetic trees of ITS base sequences. Additionally, A. callichrysum and A. broussonetii were also very closely related with each other concerning the phylogenetic trees of ITS base sequences. On the other hand, Glebionis coronaria (L.) P. Trehane was included in the clade of Argyranthemum species, according to their ITS sequences. Especially, G. coronaria was closely related with A. callichrysum than the other Argiranthemum species studied.

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