Do I need lab equipment to mutate the plant to polyploid?

No, you don’t need any lab equipment!
We are going to use everyday objects such as bottles, a dropper and paper napkins. Besides, the mutation inducing agent is a common medicine that you can easily get at the pharmacy.
Doing science doesn’t have to be complicated!

Is there any requirement to participate?

You only need a grower’s spirit and a lot of curiosity!
Let’s make history together!

How much does it cost to participate? Is there a charge to watch the tutorials?

Absolutely not! This is a completely free project.
Our goal is to share knowledge. The access to information and participation in the project is free.
We are making a collective effort by the community for the community.

What is a polyploid plant?

A polyploid plant is a plant that contains more than two complete sets of chromosomes in its cells.
This number of sets is known as ploidy. The most common ploidy in plants is diploidy, which consists of two complete sets of chromosomes (2n). However, some plants can be triploid (3n), tetraploid (4n), and so on.
Polyploidy can occur naturally or can be induced by human intervention.
Some polyploid plants form through natural hybridization between related species, while others result from chemical or radiation treatments that increase the number of chromosomes in a plant.
Polyploid plants often exhibit distinctive characteristics that differentiate then from their diploid counterparts, such as larger leaf and flower size, greater resistance to diseases and pests, and greater productivity.

Why can you create plants that cannot be pollinated?

Some polyploid plants, such as triploids, cannot be fertilized because their odd number of chromosomes prevent them from forming fertile reproductive cells with a balanced number of chromosomes.

In cannabis crops, losses due to pollination errors can be significant. By creating plants that can not be pollinated, this technique offers a solution to this problem, benefiting both commercial crops and those for medicinal use at home.

How is a plant mutated into a polyploid?

There are several ways to induce polyploidy in plants, some of which include:

Oryzalin: Is a herbicide used to inhibit cell division during meiosis, resulting in the formation of polyploid cells. This technique has been used mainly in cultivated plants, such as cereals, to increase the size and resistance of the plants. Yet it is also used in research to study the effect of polyploidy on plant biology.

Colchicine: Is an alkaloid present in several plants, which is used to induce polyploidy by inhibiting cell division during meiosis, This results in cells with more than two complete sets of chromosomes.

Trisporic acid: Is a sulfur compound that is used for the induction of polyploidy in plants.

Mitomycin C: Is a chemotherapeutic agent used for the induction of polyploidy in plants.

Choline chloride: Is an organic compound that is used for the induction of polyploidy in plants.

Nitrosoureas: Are a type of chemical compounds that are used for the induction of polyploidy in plants.

Benomil: Is a fungicide that has also been used for the induction of polyploidy.

X-rays and ionizing rays: Exposure to X-rays and ionizing rays can also cause changes in the number of chromosomes in a plant, resulting in polyploidy.

Hybridization: Between related species can also result in polyploidy, as the chromosomes of the two species combine to form a new plant with more than two complete sets of chromosomes.

Micro-propagation: It is a vegetative multiplication process that consists of growing plant tissues in an artificial growth environment. This process can be used to generate polyploid plants, through the use of growth regulators.

It is important to keep in mind that not all plants are susceptible to being induced into polyploidy and that the process may require several attempts before achieving a viable polyploid plant.

What method are we going to use to mutate to polyploid?

The technique that we will use to induce polyploidy is through the use of colchicine, an alkaloid present in several plant species.
This compound has the ability to inhibit cell division during meiosis, generating cells with a greater number of chromosomes as a result.

In our first stage, we opted for colchicine since it is a medication easily available in pharmacies, is commonly used to treat human gout. And also its handling offers low risk.

The procedure to induce polyploidy with colchicine is described in our tutorial

We have to take into account that this process may change depending on the plant. Not all plants are susceptible to polyploidy, so it may take several attempts to achieve a viable polyploid plant.

Does this have a scientific ground?

Absolutely!
The induction of polyploidy using colchicine was discovered by american botanists Lionel de la Torre and Harold E. Moore JR. in 1923. The two worked together at Columbia University in New York (today known as Fordham University) and discovered that colchicine could cause polyploidy by inhibiting cell division during meiosis.

Since then, colchicine has been used in a wide variety of plants to induce polyploidy , including cereals, forages, flowers, fruits and vegetables. This discovery has been essential for the development of new varieties of plants and the improvement of existing ones.

Wheat, which is hexaploid (has six copies of each chromosome) and is one of the most important crops in the world.

Cotton, which is octoploid (has eight copies of each chromosome) and is one of the main industrial crops.

Potato, Which is tetraploid (has for copies of each chromosome) and is an important food crop worldwide.

Barley, Which is hexaploid (has six copies of each chromosome) and is used to produce beer and other products.

Lily, Which is octoploid (has eight copies of each chromosome) and is a popular ornamental plant.

In general, polyploid plants tend to be larger and stronger, and can have better yields. That is why they are important crops in modern agriculture.

Isn’t this another internet lie?

The internet universe can be a tricky ground with false information and myths that flourish as much as our plant friends. But this is not one of those cases. The manipulation of polyploidy in cannabis has deep roots in empirical science.
In the PAPERS section you have some studies that have cultivated the facts behind this phenomenon.

By doing this, am I like Monsanto?

Not even close! You’re more like a Professor Xavier or Magneto from the plant world!
Induction of polyploidy in fruits or flowers has been a common practice for many years.
Did you know that the bananas you buy at the supermarket are polyploids created by scientists? The originals are full of seeds!
And that giant strawberry you enjoyed in your dessert is also a polyploid created by a skilled horticulturist. Natural strawberries are much smaller and full of hard seeds,
What we are doing is simply accelerating evolution, and all this from your indoor garden!

How can I collaborate with the project?

There are many ways to collaborate! The project is non-profit and maintained by growers like us, so we are always looking for collaboration in several areas, These are some ways to help.