Published in Scientific Papers. Series B. Horticulture., Vol. LVII
Written by Ramona COTRUŢ, Florin STĂNICĂ, Giuseppe SCAPIGLIATI
The genus Actinidia includes over 66 species and over 118 taxon, that range in ploidy level from diploid to octoploid. Although there is basic information on ploidy levels of various species, sampling has been limited and little information on specific cultivars and hybrids is available. The objective of this research was to determine ploidy levels among a diverse collection of species, hybrids, and cultivars using flow cytometry. Nuclei were extracted, stained with propidium iodide (PI), and analyzed using a flow cytometer. Among the selections tested we found Actinidia arguta as diploid (2n = 2x) and tetraploid (2n = 4x), Actinidia deliciosa 'Hayward' as hexaploid (2n = 6x), Actinidia chinensis 'Soreli' tetraploid (2n = 4x) and the interspecific hybrid A. arguta x A. deliciosa as diploid (2n = 2x). This information provides further insight into reproductive biology, substantiation of numerous hybrids and induced polyploids that will help facilitate the development of improved hybrids in the future.
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chromosomes
