Induced variegation

[eve]

i happened to see some variegated arios on fb. now i guess that the variegation has been induced 'artificially'. what methods are applied? i suppose it is not a virus but some chemical means. a grower once told me that he succeeds with agaves but obviously didn't explain how. i guess that he applies some mechanical way, stressing some part of the plant. sorry for my poor explanation, i have no idea about these techniques work.

[fanecchissimo]

there is a x rays technique.. not to do at home though..

[Lee]

Hi,
Yes radiation can induce some albino type mutants. It has been used with gramminae families.

However if you are thinking of white variegations such as carried out by Dr Wellens, (STC)  they are chemical induced mutations
that disrupt layers of cells. They have done a lot of work on Agave, Haworthia and Yuccas.

The original chemical mutation work came from work on cabbage family plants...Not succuelents.

These techniques have been been also used in SE Asia plant labs for a number of years.
Most of these mutations look white. However they may perhaps have different effects if the background layers have pigments...but I am only guessing!

Here is information on succulents by Dr Wellens. However as STC is commercial, their  technique is secret!

http://www.succulent-tissue-culture.com/EN/auction

Hope this helps.

Lee(inUK)

[fanecchissimo]

sometimes polyploid plants can show variegation... but they don't look so healthy usually...

[eve]

thank you so much fanecchissimo and Lee , i guess that while x-rays will generate uncontrolled mutations, the chemical induced ones work rather on colouring than other. but maybe i am completely wrong 
yes Lee, i know already STC and their products 


ps: and i will surely NOT play around with x-rays 

[fanecchissimo]

x rays does not cause incontrolled mutation, it does some damages in outer dna, the one not in the nucleus, so you have some variegation in f2 or f3, as used in gymnocalycium.

probably most of those chemicals you should use are really less safe than x rays.

[eve]

i see (i will not use chemicals either  )

[fanecchissimo]

i know there some wich are safe,  but i don't know them.

[dag]

does anybody has experience with colchicine ?