Cytological causes of blond psyllium for male sterility

Abstract

Cytological male sterility is a useful trait in plant breeding, especially in medicinal plants such as Cassia angustifolia, Commiphora wightii, Asparagus racemosus. Abnormalities appeared to be the cause of male sterility in plants, we carried out this research in an attempt to make clear the characteristics and inheritance of this male sterility. In Plantago ovata germplasm cytoplasmic abnormality was found to be the cause of abnormality. cytomixis varied from 2% to 48 % in plants. Maximum numbers of PMCs carrying B-chromosomes were recorded in male sterile plants of line JI-214(62%). No B-chromosomes were observed in fertile, sterile and partial male sterile line of JI-107 and maximum abnormal chromosomal segregation was recorded in JI-206. These cytological abnormality parameters can be used for hetrosis breeding and hybrid seed production to improve quality of psyllium.