Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University Riyadh 11451, King Saudi Arabia. Ornamental Plants and Landscape Gardening Research Department, Al-Montaza, Horticultural Research Institute, A.R.C. Giza, Egypt.
2
Forestry and Wood Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University.
Abstract
Chemical mutagenesis is one of techniques used to induce mutations and increase the genetic variability in breeding programs of economically important plants. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of two mutagens, sodium azide (SA) and diethyl sulphate (DES), on the growth of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) trees. Six concentrations of SA and DES (zero (control), 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 and 5000 ppm) were used to soak the L. leucocephala seeds, which were planted and kept in open field at the experimental station of the Faculty of Agriculture, King Saud University, for four years. This study demonstrates that inducing SA and DES mutagens by soaking the seeds significantly affects the vegetative growth of L. leucocephala. The mutagen DES more strongly affected plant development than did SA. The concentration of 1000 ppm SA had the greatest effect on the number of branches and leaves, the stem diameter and the pod length compared to treatment with DES. In contrast, DES had the greatest effect on the plant height and the number of flowers per plant. The concentration of 5000 ppm SA had a lethal effect on seed germination and did not permit growth. The total chlorophyll content was significantly decreased under all of the studied concentrations compared with control seedlings.
Keywords
Main Subjects
)
View on SCiNiTO