Induction ot polyploidy in Pride-of-India (Melia azedarach Linn), an agrotorestry tree

Polyploidy was induced in Pride-of-India (Melia azedarach Linn) a small tree grown as a hedge plant and is important for agroforestry having timber, fodder and therapeutic and insecticidal uses. Colchicine 0.5% treatment for 3 consecutive days to shoot apices of three to four day old seedlings was effective. Polyploid plants have smaller leaves with dark green, thick and overlapped leaflets, larger stomata, smaller inflorescence, reduced pollen fertility and less number of drupes than that of diploids. They achieved faster growth in three-and-a-half years. Anther squashes of the two polyploid C₁ plant showed chromosome number of 2n = 56 in the polyploids as against 2n = 28 in diploid.