Multiparametric investigations in socioeconomic non-edible oil crops

Abstract

Many plants have been identified as potential biofuel crops to meet the increased demand for energy. As researchers attempt to exploit and improve the traits of significance, genome and phenotypic information becomes critical. In this study, flow cytometric investigation has been done to estimate the genome size of four socio-economic non-edible oil crops viz. Pongamia pinnata, Jatropha curcas, Ricinus communis, and Mesua ferrea. The genome size / 2C nuclear DNA content were in the following order: J. curcas (0.86 pg/2C DNA) < R. communis (1.01 pg/2C DNA) < M. ferrea (1.52 pg/2C DNA) < P. pinnata (2.49 pg/2C DNA). Intra-specific variations were observed in genome size whereas no such variations in the chromosome number were detected in plants collected from different eco-geographical regions of Assam.