Induced polyploidy in arachis hypogaea l. Var. talam using catharanthus roseus phenolic extract

Background and Objective: Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is one of the most important crop species in Indonesia. Peanut production can be increased by genetic improvement through plant polyploidization. This research aimed to study the optimal concentration of periwinkle extract application for peanut chromosome polyploidization. Materials and Methods: Six different periwinkle leaf extract concentrations (0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2 and 0.25) were used to induce peanut polyploidy by 12 and 24 hrs of induction. These were compared to negative (water) and positive (0.1 colchicines) controls by observing the morphological character, Squash slice and flow cytometry. Results: All treated peanuts showed improved phenotypes (i.e., higher leaf number, main stem height and pod number) than the negative control. Squash slice and flow cytometry showed that the chromosome number was doubled after 24 hrs of treatment with 0.15 periwinkle extract. Conclusion: Catharanthine content of periwinkle leaf was successful to induce polyploidization. Based on study, the optimal formula for peanut polyploidization was 0.15 of periwinkle extract after 24 hrs incubation. Treated peanut had better morphological performance i.e., higher leaf number, stem height and pod number. © 2021 Ahmad Muarifin et al.