Colchicine-induced polyploidy and morphological changes in wild Silene compacta Fischer: Potential as an ornamental plant in Türkiye

This study aimed to induce polyploidy in Silene compacta Fischer by applying varying colchicine doses and soaking durations while evaluating resultant changes in plant growth and morphology. Silene compacta seeds growing naturally in Erzurum and its surroundings were treated with different colchicine doses (0.01%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.2% and 0.4%) and soaking durations (6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours). In addition, two different application methods (dripping on the shoot tip of the seedlings and application to the root tip meristem regions) were also tested. The control group received only pure water. As a result of our study, the toxic effect of colchicine at low doses (0.01% and 0.05%) in root application was not lethal and the plants survived 100%. However, higher doses and prolonged applications (e.g. 0.2% and 0.4%) led to plant death. Application to the shoot tip was more toxic, especially high doses (e.g. 0.2% and 0.4%) caused plant death. Colchicine treatments affected stomatal number and stomatal size. In root applications, stomatal width increased at 0.01%, 0.05% and 0.1% doses, but decreased at higher doses. In shoot tip treatments, the highest stomatal number was determined at 0.01% dose. Stomatal length decreased with increasing dose and this decrease was significant compared to the control group. The optimal soaking duration for the increasing stomatal length was determined as 12 hours for both root and shoot tip applications. As a result, it was found that the S. compacta plants kept at 0.1% colchicine dose for 12 hours in both treatment methods were likely to be tetraploid. Also, it was predicted that various S. compacta cultivation materials with improved properties that can be used as main materials in future breeding programs can be developed.