The use of tissue culture method for obtaining sugar beet tetraploid forms

Yarmolyuk G.I., Bekh N.S.

Institute of sugar beets, Kyiv, UAAS, Ukraine

In connection with the necessity of application of tetraploid forms of multigerm sugar beet in heterosis breeding working out effective methods for obtaining new tetraploid lines from the best native diploid materials is of great importance. The method of cultivation of meristem clones on Gamborg's agarized modified nutrient media with colchicine has been used by us since the tissue culture methods can accelerate obtaining and stabilization of the tetraploid genome and allow to reproduce the material obtained in quantities needed for breeding tests.

The influence of colchicine concentration and time of action on tetraploid output has been taken into consideration. As a result of experiments we succeeded in establishing an optimal colchicine concentration in the nutrient medium ensuring 4% of tetraploid production. Cases of chimeras and mixoploidy in the studied lines and also high genospecificity of sensitivity to colchicine of sugar beet at the level of meristem clones in vitro were found. The influence of colchicine on division processes of somatic cells of the diploid microclones has been studied.