Technical notes. Induction of fertility by colchicine treatment in Ronpha grass, a sterile interspecific Phalaris hybrid

Abstract

Ronpha grass, a sterile natural hybrid of Phalaris arundinacea and Phalaris tuberosa var. stenoptera, was introduced to Queensland from South Africa, where it is used mainly as supplementary green grazing under irrigation for cattle and sheep during the winter months in the summer rainfall region. It has shown desirable characteristics under testing in the subtropical environment of Central Queensland. In the present study, clonal material of Ronpha grass was treated with a 0·2 per cent. aqueous solution of colchicine. There is no indication that any of the colchicine treatments used was superior in effect to the others. However, immersion in colchicine is a convenient method
for the mass treatment of clonal material, especially when large numbers of plants are required for progeny evaluation.