APPLICATION OF A SOMATIC AND MEIOTIC CYTOLOGICAL TECHNIQUE TO DIVERSEPLANT GENERA AND SPECIES IN THE TRITICEAE

Within the Triticeae, cereal crop improvement alternatively exploits u se of alien genetic variation emanating from several annual and perenn ial species. Somatic and meiotic cytological procedures are used to di agnose the presence of alien chromosomes forms, an essential component in derived progenies. Quality somatic analytical products are achieve d through a high cellular mitotic index, chromosome definition, primar y and secondary constriction detail, intense nuclear staining with min imum to none cytoplasmic staining and virtually no chromosome stickine ss. Meiotic preparations with similar attributes are considered to be representative of high quality, where in addition separation of multiv alent associations and minimum chromosome stretching are more crucial. Such cytological results described in this technique, are anticipated to serve as the basis to further build upon with other differential h eterochromatin staining and molecular cytology aspects.