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Mocksville, NC

This may be a Q for Nic Welty,but has anybody doubled the Cromozones, in the plants, and pumpkins with success? If so how. This maybe a hush subject. If so i understand. But if you have done this ,i would like to know more. E-mail me privite at voldathome@yadtel.net i have a couple hundred of my own seeds for trials that are worth merit. Thank you in advance. Rog

3/17/2008 8:41:57 AM

Minnesota

What exactly is cromozone doubling?

3/17/2008 9:56:02 AM

Mocksville, NC

Richard, sorry about the spelling Just woke up!Working alot.
Chromosome doubling with the use of Colchicine.
Rog

3/17/2008 11:49:19 AM

western Kentucky

Are we talking polyploid plants, if so i asked the question before. Had a few results, i think someone told me that a lot of flat vining pumpkins were triploids. I would love to here more on the subject. Inducing polypoids might be interesting.

Justin Peek

3/17/2008 1:51:40 PM

Western NY

Interesting justin. May not necessarily be the best thing if mine were an indication:

http://bigpumpkins.com/DisplayPhoto.asp?pid=5022

All ribboned right in the pots.

I'm not sure they were actually genetic freaks, who knows.

3/17/2008 3:17:24 PM

Colorado

to double chromasomes add colchicine on young seedlings-make sure you dont get any on your fingers.Youre trying to make a tetraploid ,its done on some flowers to get a bigger bloom

3/17/2008 4:03:13 PM

Colorado

p.s. nick might have tried it-rumor was the zehrs did it back in the day(unsubstantiated)

3/17/2008 4:05:19 PM

Somerset,Ky

Lets also remember when you convert a diploid to a tetraploid
that you can't cross it with another pumpkin that hasn't been treated! Tetraploids crossed with a diploids will be seedless. So best to self all the plants. Also remember Colchicine is bad stuff don't get in on you so gloves and protective clothing please.

John Van Hook

3/17/2008 9:07:31 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

don't plan on getting any viable seeds from a polyploid plant! Once and Done.

3/17/2008 9:52:52 PM

Rhode Island

colchicine is found in gout medication. we tried it on a couple test plants years ago. also fiddled with gibberrilic acid, etc, and other experiments

no spectacular results were found . just more snake oil as far as we are concermed.

3/17/2008 11:14:23 PM

Pumpkintown, SC

...you rang? BF

3/17/2008 11:18:21 PM

Mocksville, NC

Thank you all, and the warnings. Altho i have been trained in personal PPE gear every year were i work. I still want to experiment to continue, more or less i need to see it.
But after a goodnights sleep i think i can get the Botany lab were my son attends to run experiments for me, this way i can get more percise data Spred sheets, and differant consentrations used. And maybe the PHD has i few idea's to try for a class project. In any case if i can get them to do it, and it's final i'll post there results.
I'm just passing time, and looking up fresh idea's, not only in the plant, fruits, but soil also, nothing to drastic, i do what has proven to work for me, but always looking at way's of refinement. Just food for thought in the cold months. I know the real backbone of growing is hard work, and heartache, but i look forward to it. Thanks
Rog:)

3/18/2008 10:49:57 AM

Spokane, WA

We have a couple of professors here at the University of Idaho that use colchicine to double chromosome numbers. Plant breeders use it regularly to take shortcuts in obtaining homozygous plants.

For example: It usually takes at least 7 generations of selfing (and selecting) the plants before you can be quite certain that the plants are homozygous. The other option is to germinate pollen haploid cells in vitro (in tissues culture), add colchicine to double the chromosomes and, ta da…, you have a diploid fully homozygous plant.

Many crop species are polyploid. I think the potato is a tetraploid (4n), wheat is a hexaploid (6n), and those big ol strawberries are octoploids (8n). All produce viable seeds.

3/18/2008 10:51:36 AM