The information came from a link which is no longer active. I will enter details here as time permits, and be updating over the next day or two.
From "Herbicide Conversion of Diploid Daylilies to Tetraploids" Dr. Kevin C. Vaughn
BASIS: The herbicide trifluralin (Treflan) and oryzalin (Surflan) affect the same cellular processes as colchicine, but are much more effective for producing tetraploid plant cells.
METHOD:
1 Germinate seeds on moistened filter paper. Seedlings should have a recognizable root and the smallest of shoots.
2. Place seedlings on filter paper in GLASS dishes (dispose of properly later). Prepare solution [Protective glove, clothing and goggles must be worn] [To be described later, must be DILUTED] and flood seedlings with it. Treat for 24 hours in the dark.
3. Successful treatment will result in seedlings that show clubbiness to the roots and a swollen appearance to the shoots. Transfer seedlings to small pieces of single layers of cheesecloth, tying the end of the cheesecloth. The cheesecloth bags are then immersed in a bucket of water, and a very slow stream is applied from a faucet into the bucket for four (4) hours. Adjust the water so it is the slowest CONTINUOUS stream obtainable.
4. After washing, plant seedlings on top of pre-moistened Pro-Mix. Use a pencil to make a hole, and place the small root in the hole. Water very sparingly, only to keep soil just slightly moist.
Keep under relatively low light, such as a North-facing window. Keep at 65 to 75 degress F.
The converted plants will have much stiffer leaves and are generally a deeper shade of green. [Grow a group from the same cross without the herbicide treatment to compare].
5. Conversion will show increases in pollen and stomata size, as well as increases in blossom size and substance compared to untreated plants.
ADDITIONAL NOTES on the above:
a. A suitable seedling for treatment may be as old as 5-7 days.
b. Rather than 'flooding' the seedling, it can be treated for 24 hours 'in' the solution. In any event, both roots and shoots must touch the solution.
c. The 4 hour washing treatment may take from 3-4 hours.
d. Another technique suitable for Iris involves cutting the mature fan to the rhizome, and scooping out a small 'cup'. Solution would be kept in the cup for the desired period- new shoots may be tetraploid. (This was not washed off until it eventually rained).
e. Yet another technique as used on roses: use a small paint brush to 'paint' solution onto the actively growing shoot tips. The hybridizer who told me this method did not wash offf the solution, and it was some time before it rained. The treated shoots showed damage, some severe. One showed what appeared to be a coonverted branch, with signs of tetraploidy.
The idea would be to apply these techniques to Brugmnansia and Datura, bearing in mind that these are dangerous chemicals.
This message was edited Sunday, Jan 6th 8:03 PM
This message was edited Monday, Jan 7th 11:23 AM
Conversion of Diploids to Tetraploids
is this what you are going to do with brugs? have you done it yet?
Please Parancanda, continue. I follow your posting very closely. I had trouble in the future to maintain my Datura selections, but tried to extract Colchisine from Colchisinum autumnalis, because colchisine was at that time only available for professionals. Now I guess I could go and buy some, but I understand from Brugmansia, that alternative substances are mutch healthier to work with. I fell, that I also also will need this knowledge to make the plants coming out of fused cells fertile.
arlene, yes, while this information comes from an article about daylilies, the technique should be quite similar. I plan to use it on pardancanda, myself. Have not yet tried it, but will certainly experiment with brugs as well, if I obtain some seeds.
Tonny, I will continue the post tomorrow, there is a good deal more information to share.
Please remember these are hazardous chemicals, and every precaution must be taken! Colchicine is even more dangerous, and should be avoided.
Sneak preview: a future update will explore the use of CAFFEINE to perform the same function, and will be considerably safer, although it may have you all rethinking your coffee consumption.
UH OH! I drink I sixpack of Coke a Cola a day
CC,
Me too...do we want to read more on this subject. LOL
I read that Ginko Biloba tablets contain on average 26 micrograms of colchicine each. Wonder if the ginko would affect the seeds?
Calalily, I was shocked to hear this, and did a quick search "ginko colchicine" and found any number of references; here is just one:
"American scientists have discovered that women taking one type of the supplement Ginkgo biloba had high levels of the toxin colchicine.
Colchicine is found naturally in a number of plants and is sometimes used to treat gout, but scientists said it does interfere with cell division and can prove fatal at very high doses."
Intriguing...
I would suggest that to use ginko for the colchicine content is still hazardous, in that case. Glad now I never got around to supplementing my diet with ginko.
I started to take the ginko to improve my memory, but couldn't remember where I put them after I bought them. Guess it's a good thing, huh?
Oh MY...! One of my friend (he`s nearly 90 years) Mr. Duedahl-Andersen from Sorø Botanical Nursery has been eating large doses of the leaves extraxted in snaps for years now and my mum is eating the too ...
Yes I know the gout thing, because I borrowed two of my mums pills for experimenting on D. stramónium *lol* It didn`t affect the plant *lol*
Great, I found some links, here is a very interesting one, lots of good information here. "Tetraploidy Conversion":
http://members.tripod.com/~h_syriacus/tetraploidy.htm#An%20Easy%20and%20Effective%20Method%20of%20Colchicine
This message was edited Tuesday, Jan 8th 10:41 PM
Another link about preparing the solutions:
http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:xkWs-1PAlPMC:members.tripod.com/~h_syriacus/oryzalin.html+surflan+colchicine&hl=en
CAFFEINE: Will be posting more information from the reports I have on Chromosome Doubling with Caffeine. Results were considered equal or superior for caffeine compared with colchicine. Why use such potentially dangerous chemicals as herbicides or colchicine, if caffeine will do the job?
post away, cause if my brugs love caffeine like I do!! well I could make something happen. Have seeds and soil ready!
I save my coffee grounds and coffee filters. I use the grounds in my potting soil and the filters in the bottoms of the flower pots to hold the dirt in. After a while the filters decomposes but by then the plant has had time to form its root system and hold the dirt in the pots without anything in the bottom. My brugs seem to love it.
http://www.cup.org/ObjectBuilder/ObjectBuilder.iwx?processName=productPage&product_id=0521470749&origin=redirect
Anyone have the above book? Seems to be a lot of money for something that may or may not prove beneficial. For that kind of money I would expect incredible detail and practicle applications.
Too pricy for me and I wouldn't understand it anyway. Will leave all that technical stuff for you experts. I'll just grow them and enjoy the end results.
Brugman, you can get it here: http://dogbert.abebooks.com/abe/BookSearch
used for $15. If that link doesn't work, go to http://www.abexchange.com and type in mutation breeding.