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Induction of Male Sterility in Niger (Guizotia abyssinica Cass.)

S. Gangaprasad, R.V. Sreedhar, P.M. Salimath and R.L. Ravikumar

Department of genetics and Plant Breeding, University of Agricultural sciences, Dharwad, Karnataka, India-580 005. Email: gangaprasad_gs@yahoo.com

Abstract

Studies on induction of male sterility in crop plants using gametocides is of considerable economic importance since it facilitates production of F1 hybrid, which facilitates exploitation of hybrid vigour and produce highly productive recombinants. N-71 variety of niger (Guizotia abyssinica Cass.) was selected for induction of male sterility using various chemicals. GA3 proved to be the most potent gametocide for inducing male sterility in niger to the extent of 82.0% compared to 2, 4-D and surf excel. Both 2, 4-D and surf excel were found to have adverse effects on normal growth and development of plants.

Media summary

GA3 at a concentration of 150 ppm proved to be the most successful chemical to induce maximum male sterility in niger compared to other chemicals.

Key Words

Niger (Guizotia abyssinica Cass.), male sterility, gametocide, GA3, heterosis and population improvement

Introduction

Studies on induction of male sterility in crop plants using gametocides is of considerable economic importance since it facilitates production of F1 hybrid, which facilitates exploitation of hybrid vigour and produce highly productive recombinants. Controlled crossing for population improvement in niger needs artificial induction of male sterility due to absence of natural sources of male sterile lines. Manual emasculation being too tedious and practically far from reach in crops like niger, the other viable alternative is use of chemicals as male gametocides. In order to address the need, present investigation was undertaken to induce male sterility through chemicals. Such studies are more important in a crop like niger, which is essentially cross pollinated with enormous scope for exploitation of hybrid vigour.

Methods

Material

For induction of male sterility using various chemicals, seeds of N-71 were sown in rows of three meters length with all recommended agronomic practices.

Treatments

The different chemical treatments were given to selected plants. The dosages for GA3 were 100 and 150 ppm, for 2,4-D were 50 and 100 ppm and for surf exel were 1 and 2%. Each treatment was given to four randomly selected plants and chemicals were sprayed on entire plant surface using hand sprayer.

Observations

Pollen sterility at anthesis was recorded using pollen germination media of sunflower, which has a composition of 1.5 ml sucrose, 2.23 ml PEG, 0.1 ml of boric acid, 0.1 ml potassium nitrate, 0.05 ml magnesium sulphate and 0.066 ml calcium nitrate per 5 ml. Pollen grains were collected separately from primary and secondary capitula from all treated and control plants.

Observation

Un-germinated and germinated pollens were counted and expressed in percentage to determine their sterility.

Results

The results of the present study are presented in Table 1. GA3 proved to be the most successful chemical to induce maximum male sterility compared to other chemicals used. Spraying GA3 at a concentration of 150 ppm at bud initiation stage could induce male sterility as high as 80.21 per cent in the primary buds. When the same concentration was used at same stage for one day, it showed 69.13 per cent pollen sterility in the primary buds. The other treatment that could give good amount of male sterile flowers was from 150 ppm GA3 during star bud stage for three days which gave 66.80 per cent sterile pollen. Induction of high magnitude of male sterility in case of sunflower by use of GA3 has been reported by Schuster (1969), Seetharam and Kusumakumari (1974 and 1975), Gracia Torres et al. (1979), Vittalraya Kini (1981) and in niger by Veerakumar (2002). Concentration of GA3 seems to have a major role in induction of pollen sterility. Use of 150 ppm GA3 has given better results. These observations go in accord with those observed by Veerakumar (2002) in niger. However, results of Seetharam and Kusumakumari (1974 and 1975) and Garcia Torres et al. (1979) have shown that a lower concentration than 150 ppm induced of maximum pollen sterility in sunflower. It may be due to change in the crop. Regarding stage of application, spraying at bud initiation stage proves to be better. This is also supported by works of Schuster (1969) and Seetharama and Kusumakumari (1974 and 1975). A better mode of application than spraying seems to be injection of aqueous solution of GA3 into buds (Veera Kumar, 2002), which can give better expression of pollen sterility. Morphological changes observed like excessive elongation of terminal parts of shoot, reduction in inflorescence size are similar to those observed by Vittalraya Kini (1981) in sunflower.Induction of pollen sterility through use of 2, 4-D proved to be a failure at both concentrations selected due to severe deformities in plant shoot and the inflorescence. Abnormal curling of shoot tip and young branches with newly formed leaves which resulted in death of the whole plant in later stages suggest that use of 2, 4-D at concentrations of 50 and 100 ppm is unfit to be used as a gametocide. Similar observations were noticed by Sreenivasa Chintal (2001) in his study on brinjal. Janakiraman and Natarajan (1999) could induce pollen sterility of 46.7 per cent using 50 ppm 2, 4-D and a lower levels of pollen sterilities using lower concentrations but at last all treatments gave no seed and fruit in case of brinjal. Salgare (1999) who worked on Phaseolus mungo for induction of male sterility using 2, 4-D also concluded that concentration ranging from 200 to 5000 μg per ml killed all plants. From the present study it can be concluded that 2, 4-D is not a suitable chemical to use as a gametocide in niger. A single spray of surf excel resulted in inducing reasonable level of pollen sterility at concentration of 1 per cent. However, spraying it for three days or use of 2 per cent solution proved to be adverse to the plant development. The treatments led to leaf scorching, drying of shoot buds, irregular development of inflorescence and later inflorescnece drying. It could be due to the presence of additives like antideposition agents, bleaching agents, organic sequestering agents and enzymes along with sodium carbonate and sodium borate in the detergent, which can be harmful to the plant. But studies by Singh (1999) in rice and Chauhan and Vandana Singh (2002) in Brassica juncea (L.) reported induction of very high pollen sterility at concentrations as high as 3 to 6 per cent of detergent. Use of the detergent at lower concentration might be successful for induction of pollen sterility without affecting the plant. Identification of suitable chemical, dosage, mode of application and stage of application by a detailed study is needed.

Table 1: Pollen sterility (%) at different chemical concentrations and growth stages.

Chemical

Concentration

Stage of application

No. of sprays

Treatment No.

Pollen sterility (%)

Primary bud

Secondary bud

Control

     

T0

17.84

35.70

GA3

100 ppm

BI

1

T1

53.12

41.21

 

3

T2

64.67

46.90

SB

1

T3

49.81

51.22

 

3

T4

54.60

58.27

150 ppm

BI

1

T5

69.13

53.12

 

3

T6

80.21

56.70

SB

1

T7

53.30

55.32

 

3

T8

66.80

59.32

2, 4-D

50 ppm

BI

1

T9

*

*

 

3

T10

*

*

SB

1

T11

*

*

 

3

T12

*

*

100 ppm

BI

1

T13

*

*

 

3

T14

*

*

SB

1

T15

*

*

 

3

T16

*

*

Surf excel

1%

BI

1

T17

58.20

41.20

 

3

T18

*

*

SB

1

T19

42.91

46.87

 

3

T20

*

*

2%

BI

1

T21

*

*

 

3

T22

*

*

SB

1

T23

*

*

 

3

T24

*

*

BI – Bud initiation, SB – Star bud

* - Plant mortality

Conclusion

GA3 is a potential gametocide in Niger which was able to induce male sterility upto 82.0%. This chemical treatment could be used to exploit heterosis through hybrids and population improvement to enhance the yield levels in Niger. Use of detergents as gametocides would be economical if proper concentration, stage and method application is identified.

References

Chauhan SVS. and Vandana Singh (2002) Detergent induced male sterility and bud pollination in Brassica juncea (L.) Czern and Coss. Current Science, 82(8): 918-920.

Garcia Torres, L., Dominguez Gimenez, J. and Fernandez Martinez, J. (1979) Male sterility and female sterility induced in sunflower with GA3. Anales del Institute Nacional de Investigeiones Agrarias, Production Vegetal No. 9, pp. 147-169.

Janakiraman, M. and Natarajan, S. (1999) Studies on effect of chemical hybridizing agents in male sterility in egg plant (Solanum melongena L.). South Indian Horticulture, 47 : (1-6) : 54-56.

Salgare, SA (1999) Evaluation of 2, 4-D as male gametocide on Phaseolus mungo and a new method of plant breeding. Journal of Ecotoxicology and Environment Monitoring, 9(2) : 263-267.

Schuster W. (1969) Beobachtungen uber mannlicne sterillitat beidex sonrenblume (Helianthus annuus L.) ansgeolost durch genetische. Physiologissche and induszierte chemische faktoren. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 39 : 261-273.

Seetharam A and Kusuma Kumari, P (1974) Gibberellic acid induced male sterility in sunflower. Science and Culture, 40(9) : 398-399.

Seetharam A. and Kusuma Kumari, P. (1975) Induction of male sterility in sunflower. Indian Journal of Genetics, 35 :136-138.

Singh, AK (1999) Male gametocidal effect of synthetic detergent in rice. The Indian Journal and Genetics and Plant Breeding, 59(3) : 371-373.

Sreenivasa, VC (2001), Physiological and histochemical changes associated with the male sterility in brinjal using plant growth regulators. M. Sc. (Agri.) Thesis, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad.

Veerakumar, GN 2002, Studies on genetic variability, floral biology, autogamy and histology of GA3 induced male sterility in niger (Guizotia abyssinica Cass). M. Sc. (Agri.) Thesis, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore.

Vittalaraya Kini, A (1981) Histological and histochemical studies in cytoplasmic and gibberellic acid induced male sterile lines of sunflower. M. Sc. (Agri.) Thesis, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore.

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