Effect of Fungicide Copper Oxychloride on dividing Cells of allium Cepal.

Abstract

The present study describes a cytological experiment to determine the effect offungicide Copper oxychloride on the root meristematic cells ofAllium cepa.The root meristems were treated with different concentrations of Copperoxychloridei.e., 0.025%, 0.05%, 0.075% and 0.1% for different duration oftime i.e., 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours for each concentration. In the study, mitotic index, phase indices and abnormality indices werecalculated and abnormal phases were studied. Mitotic index decreased withincreasing concentration and period of treatment. Mitotic index was least in0.1% concentration at 24 hours treatment. It shows that treatment with higherconcentrations and longer period of treatment is toxic. Prophase indexincreased with increase in concentration and period of treatment. Metaphaseand Ana-telophase indices showed decreasing tendency with increase inconcentration and period of treatment. Copper oxychloride induced various types of cellular abnormalities. Theabnormalities werediluted cells, unequal condensation of chromatin threads inprophase, equatorial plate shifting, C-metaphase, stickiness, disturbedmetaphase, diagonal anaphase, precocious chromosomes, precocious arms,laggards, bridges, fragmentation, sticky anaphase, pole shift in anaphase andtelophase, unequal cytokinesis, delay in cell plate formation, binucleated cells,unequal movement of chromosomes, diagonal telophase and unequalcondensation of daughter chromosomes. The abnormalities may be attributed tothe disturbance in the spindle mechanism and metabolic disturbances caused bythe chemical.The results obtained from the study shows that fungicide Copper oxychloride iscytologically effective, mito-depressive, clastogenic and is lethal at higherconcentrations.