Chromosome Clumping in Vigna Unguiculuta (L) Walp Roots Treated with Phostoxin Fumigant

ABSTRACT The effects of treating seeds and germinating root tips of Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp with Phostoxin fumigant, on its mitotic chromosomes were investigated. Healthy grains of Vigna unguiculata were presoaked overnight in a solution made by dissolving one pellet of the fumigant (4gm) in 100mls of tap water. The same solution was used to moisten cotton wool on which the seeds were germinated in a petri dish. A control experiment was set up using ordinary tap water. Germinating root tips were pretreated in Colchicine solution and fixed in acetic ethanol. Result showed the chemically treated root tips exhibited clumping of the metaphase chromosomes. Comparison with the untreated root chromosomes indicated that the effect of the chemicals present in the fumigant used, reasonable impaired the process of mitosis. This implied that growth and development of germinating seedlings treated with Phostoxin could be hampered.