Journal of Crop Breeding

Nowadays induction of polyploidy using mutagenic chemicals to increase secondary metabolic production as a modification method of pharmaceutical plants is very usual. A factorial experiment based on completely randomized design with three replications was carried out on Sistan's native fenugreek (Trigonellafoenum_graecum). Colchicine concentration in four levels (0.2, 0.5, 0.75 and 1 gl^-1) and the period of treatment in three levels (6, 12 and 18 hours) were the two factors. The results showed that the concentration and period of colchicines’ treatment and their interaction effects had significant role on auto tetra polyploidy levels. The highest level of polyploidy induction achieved by plunging seedling in concentration 0.5 gl-1 of colchicine for 12 hours. Then, seeds were planted based on completely randomized block design with three replications and nineteen of morphological and physiological traits including plant height, number of leaf, length and wide of leaf, fresh and dry weight plant, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and chlorophyll c concentration were measured. The results showed that changed of ploidy levels from diploidy to tetraploidy by colchicine had significant effect for all morphological and physiological traits except fresh and dry weight plant.