Abstract

Polyploidy plays an important role in plant evolution and constitutes an important mechanism of diversification and genetic variations creation. The objective of this study was to produce a polyploid cultivar of Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (2n=16) and to evaluate its cytological potentialities. Polyploidy induction was carried out by using a 0.05% colchicine solution. Ploidy level was determined by an analysis of flow cytometry, which is suitable, quick and easy for the identification of ploidy level. Quantification of DNA by spectrophotometric methods showed that treated plants presented higher contents of cellular DNA than diploid plants, and this quantification was checked by fluorescence method and comparison of the DNA profiles showed a more significant thickness of the DNA band in the extract from the treated plants than the diploid plants. In addition, the tested plants were classed as diploid and mixoploid by flow cytometry. The cytological characteristics such as the stomata size and pollen grain diameter of the mixoploid were significantly larger than those of the diploid. Polyploidy induction is an effective method to increase plant performance.

Key words: Fenugreek, colchicine, flow cytometry, polyploidy, mixoploidy.