Perspectives in Cytology and Genetics 2001, 10 :519-524

(Eds G K Manna and S C Roy, AICCG Publ. Kalyani Univ.)

EFFECTS OFAGRO.CHEMICALS ON THE ROOT TIP CELLS OF

C ROTAIA,RIA ME DICAGI N EA VAR. LTXURIANS

T. SRINMSU and G. B. KULKARNI *

Departments of Botany, Institute of Science, Fort, Mumbai - 400 032

and *Institate of Science, Aurangabad 431004, Maharashtra

ABSTRACT

The seeds of Crotalaria medicaginea var. luxurians were treated with different concentrations
of Fernoxone, Glycel, Goal and Atrataf. The lethal doses determined for these agro-chemicals were
10000, 10000, 200 and 50000 ppm, respectively. The various nuclear and chromosomal abnormalities
observed after treatment with different concentrations of agrochemicals prior to lethal doses were
binucleolate, binucleolate with micro- and macro-nucleolus, clumping, grouping, precocious movement
of chromosomes, multiple bridges, re-orientation of chromosomes and rarely laggards, persistent
nucleolus, trinbucleolate,'fragments and stray chromosome. The mitotic index in Crotalaria was
calculated in control and treated seedling root tips. The rate ofmitosis decreased with an increase in
concentration of agro chemicals.

INTRODUCTION

Crotalaria medicaginea var luxurians belonging to Fababeae, is a common kharif

weed, growing luxuriantly in the jowar and ground-nut crop fields and vacanr sites in
Marathwada in Ma-lrarashtra. It interferes with crop cultivation in multifarious ways and
causes yield loss. The present paper deals with mitosis of twentyfour hour old seedlings of
the weed in control and treated ones.

MATERIALS and METHODS

The seeds of Crotalaria ntedicaginea vur. luxurians were treated with various
concentrations of agro-chemicals for 24 h. The seeds soaked in distilled water for same
time was used as control. The root tips of seedlings raised were fixed in Carnoy's fluid prior
to lethal doses and preserved in7|Va alcohol after thorough wash. The squashes were prepuued
by using 0.5Vo haematoxyline stain by using iron alum as mordant. The mitotic index and
chromosomal abnormalities were noted.
520 T. SRINIVASU and G; B. KULKARNI

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 . EFFECTS OFAGROCI{EMICALS ON ROOT TIPCELLS OF CROTALARIA 521

RESULTS and DISCUSSION

The mitosis was normal and the mitotic index was 3.24 in control root tip cells.
However, the mitotic index was reduced by all agro-chemicals (Table 1) and this reduction
was gradual as the concentration of agrochemicals increased. The cell division was stopped
completely at 10000, 10000, 200 and 50000 ppm of Fernoxone, Glycel, Goal and Atrataf,
respectively. These doses were considered as lethal. Sueh results were noted earlier in
Tradescantia (Sawamura,1964);Viciafaba (Prasad, 1977); Euphorbia geniculata (Bakale
and Hadke, 1981); Solanum xanthocarpum (Bakale and Kolhe, 1981); Parthenium
hysterophorus (Bakale and Srinivasu, 1986); Xanthium strumarium (Bakale and Srinivasu,
1989a); Psoralea corylifolia (Bakale and Srinivasu, 1989b); Mecardonia procumbens
(Trivedi and Alok, l99l). Chenopodium album (Jain, 1993) and Medicago sativa (Gopal,
1993), with 2,4-D and its formulations;in Glycine max (Yaughn and Duke, 1986); Pysium
sativum (Ditomaso, 1988) and Chenopodium album (Jain, 1993) with glycel; in Medicago
sativa (Gopal, L993); Allium cepa (Btilani and Shukla, 1994) and maize (Kumar et al.,
1995) with Goal and in Hordeum vulgare (Wuu and Grant, 1966); in Sorghum vulgare
(Liang et a1.,I967),in Allium cepa and Vciafaba (Badr, 1983 and 1986), in maize (papa et
al., 1984), Hordeum. vulgare (stroev, 1988) and in various plants (Wang et a1., 1991) with
atrazine. Fernoxone induced the highest percentage of total abnormalities and is followed
by Atrataf, Goal and Glycel, respectively. The abnormalities such as binucleolate, binucleolate
with macro- and micro-nucleolus and rarely ffinucleolate condition of cells are observed
due to these agro-chemicals was probably because of constriction of fully formed nucleolus,
which was also suggested earlier by Sawamuru(1964) inTradescantia, Viciafaba, Allium
cepa and A. fistulurn, Khosla (1967) in Ruellia tuberosa and Cassia tora,Bakale et al.
(1981) in Malvastrum coromandelimum, Bakale and Srinivasu (1986) in Parthenium
hysteroph.orus by 2,4-D; Jain (1993) in Chenopodium album by Glycel; Gopal (1993) in
Medicago sativa, Butania and Shukla (1994) in Allium cepaby Goal and Liang et al. (1967\
in Sorghurn vulgare by Atrataf.
Clumping of chromosomes due to agro-chemicals was probably because of stickiness
of condensed metaphase chromosomes, which was also suggested earlierby Nygren (L949),
Crocker (1953), Shoji et al. (1960) Bayliss (1977), Bakale and Hadke (1981), Bakale and
Kolhe (1981), Bakale and Srinivasu (1986, 1989a, b), Jain (1993), Gopal (1993), Soh and
Woo (1993) due to 2,4-D andButani and Shukla (1994)by Glycel and Goal treatment. Wuu
and Grant (1966), Lianget al (1967), Badr (1983, 1986), Papaet al. (1984), Stroev (1988)
and Wang et al. (1991) by Atrazine. Fragment formation in Crotalaria medicaginea was
due to breakage of clumped chromosome at anaphase. Similar findings was observed by
Bakale and Srinivasu (1986) in Parthenium,
Grouping of chromosome and laggards noticed in this investigation was observed
earlier in several plants by many workers (Arnold and Nalewaja,l97l; Bamberger, 1971;
522 T. SRINIVASU and c. B. KULKARNI

Tomkins and Grant, 1976; Muhling et a1.,1960; Kolhe, t979; Bakale and srinivasu, 1986,
7989a, b; Jain, 1993; Gopal, 1993 Soh and Woo, 1993; Butani and Shukla, 1994;Liang et
al., 1967; Badr, 1983 and 1986; Papa et a1.,1984; Stroev, 1988 and Wang et a1.,1991).The
probable reason was due to conjugation of agro-chemicals bound to cellular proteins or
condensation cycle of chromosomes or due to conjugation of these agro-chemicals with
proteins of the spindle apparatus may occur.
Precocious movement of chromosomes might be due to sudden contraction of some
spindle fibers owing to weedicidal toxicity. It was reported previously by Dharurkar and
Dnyansagar (1974) in Eichhornia crassipes, Bakale and Hadke (1981) in Euphorbia
geniculata, Bakale and Kolhe (1981) in Solanum xanthocarpu.s, Bakale et al. (1981) in
Malvastrum coromandelianum, Bakale and Srinivasu (1986, l989aand b) in Partheniumt,
X ant hium and P s o r al e a, J ain ( 1 993 ) tn C hen op o d i um, G opal ( I 993 ) in M e di c a g o followin g
2,4-D. Similar condition was noticed by Jain (1993) due to Glycel and Gopal (1993) due to
Goal.
Owing to stickiness of individual chromosomes, the ends of homologus chromosomes
joined, which led to the formation of bridges in Crotalaric. It was also reported in several
plants by Sawamura (1984), Amer andAli (1974),Tomkins and Grant (1976),Kolhe (lg7g),
Trivedi and'Trivedi (1985), Bakale and Srinivasu (1986, 1989 a and b) by 2,4-D; Jain
(1993) by Glyphosate; Gopal (1993), Soh and Woo (1993), Butani and Shukla (1994) by
Goal and Liang et al. (1967), Wuu and Grant (1966), Badr (1983 and 1986) due to Atrataf.
All the four agro-chemicals induced re-orientation of chromosomes in the present
investigation might be due to interference of agro-chemicals with the movement of spindle
fibers which usually control chromosorne movement during anaphase.
Laggards was observed in Coal and Atrataf in Crotalaria might be formed due to
chromosomal breakage as these agro-chemicals interfered with basic proteins of
chromosomes during cell division. This was supported earlier by Gopal (1993) in Medicago,
Butani and Shukla (1994) in Allium following Goal treatment and Badr (1983 and 1986) in
Viciafaba and Allium cepa due to atrazine treatment.
In the present investigation, the persistent nucleolu.s was observed at higher
concentration of Glycel and Atrataf. The probable occurrence of the persistent nucleolus
may be depending upon the rate of dissolution of nucleolar mass which determine its
persistence till metaphase, anaphase or the dissolution of nucleolus is slow.
A rare abnormality, chromosome fragment was observed in Atrataf. This was also
reported earlier in maize seedlings with Atratzine by Papa et al . (1984). It might be formed
due to chromosomal breakage.
Fernoxone and Goal induced stray chromosome in the present study was also seen by
Ostergren (1945). According to him it was due to the structure of spindle is such that a
transverse eqilibrium is set up within it and the insertion of foreign bodies upset the
equilibrium which seems to be possible reasons for the occurrence of stray chromosome in
the present study.
 EFFECTS oFAGRoCHEMICALS oN RooT TIPCELLS oF CRoTALARIA 523

From this discussion, it is clear that all four agrochemicals inhibited cellular division
gradually as the concentration of agrochemical treatment increased. In addition to this,
these agrochemicals are capable of inducing more various chromosomal aberrations
which
ultimately upset physiological process of cells leading to death of this weed.

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