EFFECT OF WATER STRESS ON MICROSPOROGENESIS OF A CULTIVATED BARLEY

It is well known that most of the genotypic diversity on this earth has resulted from spontaneous variations in the environment and subsequent natural selection. Thus, the mutagenic potential of environmental variations cannot be underestimated. In view of this, a study of mutagenic potentials of environmental variations was conducted, mainly for assessing the effects on the basis of changes in cytological parameters. The environmental variable that was taken into consideration was soil moisture. The soil moisture regime was modified so as to put the plants into stress at three different stages of life history of Barley plant (Hordeum vulgare L.) taken as the bioassay. The effect was assessed in terms of chromosomal aberrations in microsporogenesis.