Observations on Traits Used as Indicators of Ploidy Levels in Plants in Two Varieties of Diploid Tomato

Abstract

The reliability of indirect method for ploidy level determination in two tomato varieties  with the same ploidy level was tested. Observations were made on traits used as indirect indictors of ploidy levels in plants on two varieties of diploid tomato which are characterized by significant  differences in their size. The results revealed that all the morphological traits, pollen grain measurements as well as chloroplasts number in stomata guard cells significantly, differ in the two varieties although they are both diploid. In contrary, number of germinal pores in pollen grains and different stomata measurements, like stomata size, guard cell size and stomata frequency in addition to epidermal cell frequency,  showed  non-significant differences between the tested varieties. Thus, investigated traits, including stomata measurements and number of germinal pores, cannot be used to screen plants of Solanum Lycopersicum for ploidy level. Furthermore, the indirect method of ploidy level determination is  species-specific and need to be confirmed by other methods.