INDUCTION OF IN-VIVO MUTATION IN CHRYSANT HEMUM (DENDRANTHEMA-GRANDIFLORA TZVELEV) CV PINK REPIN BREEDING

Mutation induction was used with the objective of obtaining mutants fo r flower colour of chrysanthemum, cv. Repin (pink colour). Rooted cutt ings were irradiated with 20 Gy of gamma rays and before the selection the cutting back method was used to advance the generations. The freq uency of colour mutants observed was 5.8%. Among the mutants obtained the white and dark-pink-coloured ones were evaluated in yield trial an d post-harvest. The results indicated that these mutants mantained the same agronomical characteristics showed by the control, with the exce ption of plant height in the white mutant that was shorter. Due to com mercial interest of the producers, these mutants were multiplied and r eleased as new cultivars. The white flower colour mutant was named Cri stiane and the dark-pink, Ingrid. This was the first example of cultiv ars from an ornamental plant released by mutation breeding in Brazil.