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Morphology, Cytology, and Fertility of Diploid and Colchicine-Induced Tetraploid Crested Wheatgrass¹

Treatment of diploid ‘Fairway’ crested wheatgrass, Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn., 2n=14, seeds with colchicine solutions ranging from 0.1 to 0.8% for 12 to 96 hours produced 14 tetraploids. Colchicine solutions of 0.1 to 0.4% applied for 12 to 48 hours appear to be suitable for inducing polyploidy in crested wheatgrass. The induced tetraploids were taller and had fewer but coarser stems than their diploid prototypes. Spike characteristics of the diploids and the tetraploids did not differ significantly. Tetraploid pollen was larger than diploid pollen. Mean chromosome associations of 0.11 I, 7.73 II, 0.06 III, and 3.06 IV where observed in 628 cells at diakinesis and metaphase I. The most common association was 8 II and 3 IV. Irregularities such as laggards, bridges, and unequal chromosome disjunctions occurred in approximately 40% of the anaphase-I and -II cells; however, the induced tetraploids averaged 85.3% stainable pollen. Open-fertility of the diploids exceeded that of the induced tetraploids, but their mean self-fertilities did not differ significantly. Induced and natural tetraploids hybridized with relative ease. Many of the hybrids were agronomically desirable and may prove useful in a crested wheatgrass breeding program.

² Formerly graduate student, Utah State University (now graduate assistant, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah); and Research Geneticist, Crops Research Division, ARS, USDA, Logan, Utah.

Received for publication December 20, 1965.