Gamma irradiation mutagenesis in Monstera deliciosa

Cut foliage of Monstera deliciosa is widely used in flower arrangement due to its long vase life and striking foliage pattern. Variegated Monstera of commercial importance is scarce. Therefore, we examined the potential of mutagenesis in obtaining variegated mutants by gamma ray irradiating the seeds. The germination rate was reduced by increasing the irradiation dosage. The LD₅₀ dosage was between 10 to 25 Gy. We further compared the survival rate of seeds from different source at 0, 7.5, 10, and 12.5 Gy. Dosage higher than 12.5 Gy was required to achieve LD₅₀ germination rate. Next, seeds pre-soaked for 5 days were compared to dry seeds for their sensitivity to gamma irradiation at various dosages (10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, 20, and 22.5 Gy). The highest germination rate was obtained by 10 Gy of dry seeds and 12.5 Gy of soaked seeds. The lowest germination rate was observed by 22.5 Gy for both dry and soaked seeds. The soaked seeds apparently were more tolerant to the damage caused by higher dosage of irradiation. Different pattern of leaf variegation was obtained after gamma ray irradiation, including light green to yellow green sectors.