MEIOTIC EVALUATION OF BRASSICA CAMPESTRIS DESI AND BRASSICA NAPUS HS-98 FOR CHROMOSOMAL STABILITY AND POLLEN FERTILITY

Abstract

The objectives of the current study were to record and document the chromosomal behavior, stability and pollen fertility in some selected genotypes of Brassica. The floral buds were collected before sunrise, fixed in acetic acid ethanol for 24 hrs and preserved as a stock for cytogenetic and pollen fertility analyses. The subsequent meiotic analysis was conducted in Meiotic-I (MI) of pollen mother cells (PMC) of B. napus and B. campestris (Taylor, 1924). The results showed regular 10 bivalents, one by one synapses and one to one disjunction in B. campestris. A total of 450, bivalents were observed, among them, 300 were rings and 150 rods bivalents. The total numbers of chiasmata observed were 752 giving an average of 17 chiasmata per cell. The fertile pollen percentage was 94% in 74 pollen observed. Similarly, the meiotic behavior of the B. napus HS-98 showed regular 19 bivalents and a total of 855 bivalents were observed. Among these, 506 were ring and 349 rod bivalents. The total numbers of chiasmata observed were 1362 and an average chiasmata per cell were 30.3. The pollen fertility was 93% on the basis of 79 pollens observed. The cytogenetic analysis confirmed that both the genotypes were stable, diploids and high pollen fertility. Moreover, the genotypes can confidently be used as stable materials for further breeding program.